The city plans to close down an Upper East Side block and allow an upscale prep school to use it as a private playground.
The Ministry of Transport is Birch Wasen Lenox School, $62,500 per year; It applied to include East 77th Street between Second and Third Avenues in the controversial anti-car “Open Streets” program starting Jan. 5.
The plan means closing busy residential streets to traffic from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on weekdays, with local residents and business owners calling the plan a big deal for some wealthy people. he accused.
Marie Starek, a senior resident of the block, said: “If this lockdown goes into effect, cars, taxis and ambulances will not be able to get through, and the lives of most residents and businesses in this block will be disrupted. ” he said. “Open Streets programs benefit a privileged few but harm taxpayers.”
The block is regularly used by ambulances heading to Lenox Hill Hospital, two blocks west, and is adjacent to a construction site that is already blocking traffic.
Astride Rich, a K-12 school principal, recently told the Manhattan Community Board 8 that her 500-student school was unable to open its doors because its existing outdoor recreation space was “very small.” He said he was “very excited” to be included in “Street”. Can be used by one grade level at a time.
“We want our kids to take advantage of the fresh air and play together,” Riche said.
Risch insisted that vehicles would be allowed to pass “as needed” to make business deliveries and pick up and drop off people.
However, the community board did not sell. Voting 36-2 We support a non-binding resolution requiring the DOT to deny the application.
“These kids have parents who can take them to the park after school, like I did,” said board member Michele Birnbaum. “We don't need to cause trouble for major hospitals, homes and businesses…This is outrageous.”
The DOT claims it will work with schools to “adjust” scheduled street activity times, but has not provided specifics.
The Open Streets Program was created in April 2020 as a temporary measure to help New Yorkers safely gather outdoors during the pandemic.
The City Council will make it permanent in 2021. Mayor Adams later expanded it to about 200 locations. As part of an agenda aimed at restricting the use of cars.
The city is currently avoiding a pending federal lawsuit that claims Open Streets discriminates against people with disabilities who travel by car.
