Crown Heights Only Gets 1 Block Of City's Open Streets Program, So Far

CROWN HEIGHTS, BROOKLYN — A new Open Street on its way to the Weeksville Heritage Center is so far the only car-free street this year in Crown Heights, according to location unveiled by the city Friday.

The Open Street — which will close traffic on a block in front of the Buffalo Avenue cultural center starting in June — is the only Crown Heights spot on a list of 150 locations across the city that will take part in the program, which started in the pandemic as a way to give more room for pedestrians, cyclists and outdoor activities.

Crown Heights previously had at least three Open Streets, though studies showed that they were rarely active, likely given the lack of a designated organization to keep them up and running.

Transportation officials did not answer questions from Patch specifically about why the previous Crown Heights Open Streets were not returning, but did say that several former locations were not on the 2022 list because "community partners" who had run the sites did not reapply.

The Open Streets program accepts applications for sites on a rolling basis, meaning more locations could be added as the year goes on, a spokesperson said. The city is working with nonprofit Street Lab to find partners in neighborhoods that have not had Open Streets yet and will offer help to those that join the program.

The city gives $20,000 in funding and a package of barriers, locks and other materials to each nonprofit running an Open Street, according to the department. (Even with the funding, many Open Street organizers have had to set up fundraisers to bring in the thousands of additional dollars needed to run the Open Streets each year).

"Since summer 2021, DOT has been providing full barrier operational support, sanitation, and horticultural maintenance at over 20 Open Streets across the city," the department said. "This precious resource is already being deployed in underserved communities and DOT plans to continue to grow this type of support, which will enable the agency to have a more equitable Open Streets program."

In Crown Heights, the Weeksville Heritage Center's Open Street will be run by The Society for the Preservation of Weeksville and Bedford-Stuyvesant History, which runs the cultural center.

It will launch on June 18 and close traffic between St. Marks Avenue and Bergen Street from 12 to 7 p.m. each Saturday and Sunday during the Open Street season, according to the city's schedule.

Neighbors in Crown Heights can also check out several Open Streets that will open in nearby neighborhoods, including 10 new Brooklyn locations this year.

They include a new Bed-Stuy Open Street on Lewis Avenue, which will extend to Fulton Street, and a new Brownsville car-free street on Watkins Street. Nearby Prospect Heights will also bring back its popular Open Streets on Vanderbilt and Underhill avenues.

In total, 300 blocks across the five boroughs will be set up as Open Streets this year.

"Open Streets was one of the few bright spots of the pandemic, and I am proud that we have found a way to support more streets in more diverse communities in every borough that can be part of this incredible and permanent program," Rodriguez said in a news release on Friday.

The announcement of the new Open Streets aligned with Earth Day.

The DOT added that it helped provide local nonprofits and organizations with funding for metal barriers, traffic signs, programming, and movable furniture. The exact hours for each uptown Open Street are not yet set.

"On Earth Day and every day, we are showing the nation how to reimagine our public space at scale and build a greener, healthier, and safer city," New York City Mayor Eric Adams said in a news release. "My administration's commitment to the Open Streets program remains steadfast."

You can find out more about Open Streets on the city's website.