Only 2 Crown, Prospect Heights Open Streets Are Working: Study

CROWN HEIGHTS, BROOKLYN — Less than half of the city's "Open Streets" are operating as the car-free community gathering spaces that the city touted them to be, including several in Crown and Prospect Heights, a recent study found.

The study, released last week by Transportation Alternatives, found that only 46 percent of Open Streets citywide were actually active despite being listed on the Department of Transportation's list of the open spaces.

In Brooklyn, the percentage was even lower — only 40 percent of the borough's 90 Open Streets were marked active, meaning at least one volunteer saw barriers up during the streets operating hours.

In Crown and Prospect Heights, only two of the neighborhoods' six Open Streets were up and running, according to the study. Those that were active — Vanderbilt and Underhill Avenue — are both found in Prospect Heights.

Here's a look at the Open Streets in the neighborhoods (green marks those that are active):

Transportation Alternatives attributed many of the Open Street closures to race and class disparities: Most of the active Open Streets were in predominantly white, higher-income neighborhoods.

The trend seems to hold true in Crown and Prospect Heights.

The $97,845 and $102,888 median income for the areas surrounding the two active Open Streets is twice that of those living near the other Open Streets, which are found on Lincoln Place, Park Place, Prospect Place and Schenectady Avenue, according to the study.

Researchers pointed to these disparities in their call for more investment in Open Streets from the city, specifically in areas where there might not be volunteers who can lend their time or neighbors who can donate money to keep the street running.

In Prospect Heights, the organization that runs Vanderbilt and Underhill avenue was able to raise more than $26,000 to bring back the program this year.

Similar success has been found in fundraisers for Open Streets in wealthy Park Slope, while areas like Sunset Park have struggled to raise money, Trans Alt pointed out.

All but one of the other Open Streets that were found not to be active in Crown and Prospect Heights did not not have designated organizations working on their behalf.

"This report makes one thing clear: New Yorkers love Open Streets, and they want to see them succeed,” Trans Alt Executive Director Danny Harris said. “However, Mayor de Blasio has broken his promise to expand the program equitably. All communities deserve Open Streets and the health, climate, and safety benefits they provide."

Note: In at least some neighborhoods, Patch found that the Trans Alt survey may have relied partly on outdated information.