Metro

NYC outlines street closures to promote ‘social distancing’ during coronavirus shutdown

A small stretch of four streets will temporarily close to vehicular traffic as the city tests out a pilot program providing more social distancing space during the coronavirus pandemic.

Mayor Bill de Blasio has picked one street to be converted to pedestrian-only corridors in Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn and the Bronx, for a pilot running from Friday, March 27, to Monday, March 30.

Each of the following streets will be closed to cars from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. for the four-day test.

The closures in total make up roughly 1.6 miles of the city’s 6,000 miles of roads:

  • Manhattan: Park Avenue, between 28th Street and 34th Street
  • Brooklyn: Bushwick Avenue, between Johnson Avenue and Flushing Avenue
  • Queens: 34th Avenue, from 73rd Street to 80th Street
  • The Bronx: Grand Concourse, between East Burnside Avenue and 184th Street

Staten Island was not included in the original pilot, but a spokeswoman said more closures could be coming. De Blasio had previously pledged to close up to two streets per borough to give pedestrians more space during the state-ordered lockdown.

“Additional sites are being considered for this initial pilot and will be announced when details are finalized,” mayoral spokeswoman Jane Meyer said in an email. “These current locations will be re-evaluated for continued public access.”

Police will be stationed at the four streets to monitor the closures and ensure social distancing protocols are followed. Parked cars can remain in place during the closures, according to the mayor’s office.

Through-traffic will be allowed on cross streets of the closed roads and any pick-ups and drop-offs will have to be completed at corners of cross streets.