New 'Open Streets' Coming To Park Slope

PARK SLOPE, BROOKLYN — The city's "Open Streets" social distancing program dedicated an additional city block of Park Slope to foot- and bicycle-only traffic.

A 0.14-mile bend of Butler Street and Gregory Place behind Key Food will close — or open, if you prefer — starting Saturday, the mayor's office announced.

It joins a section of Prospect Park West and a dead-end on Fourth Street as the neighborhood's designated areas for extra social distancing and exercise.

The city also opened up streets in nearby neighborhoods like Boerum Hill and Prospect Heights.

"Kids in our neighborhoods have been thrilled to have a little extra space to play, and commuters and recreational cyclists are glad for additional routes with protection from nearby traffic," said city Councilman Brad Lander, who represents Park Slope, in a statement. "These additional blocks will help New Yorkers celebrate the warmer weather in safer, physically distant ways."

The mayor's office claimed in a Friday news release that the additional streets bring the city past its goal of opening 40 miles of streets by the end of May. It's an arguable point because the city's tally includes nine miles of temporary protected bike lanes announced last week.

Not including those lanes and their streets, the newly-announced locations bring the citywide total to only 34 miles.

Open Streets across New York City can be seen on Google Maps or this city list.

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