Mayor de Blasio Flips, Agrees to Open 40 Miles of City Streets

The city plans to close at least 40 miles of streets to vehicular traffic starting in May to make room for pedestrians and cyclists.

With playgrounds and beaches potentially closed, it's shaping up to be a very different kind of summer in New York. And due to the likely need to continue some form of social distancing into the summer months, the mayor announced plans to close streets in all five boroughs.

It's an abrupt flip from the mayor’s position as recently as last week, when his transportation officials argued against closing streets because the city lacked policing resources to adequately enforce social distancing measures.

City Council Speaker Corey Johnson protested that other cities around the world were opening to pedestrians, and insinuated he'd petition Governor Andrew Cuomo to make it happen.

The open streets program will continue as long as Cuomo's NY Pause order remains in effect.