Here Are The Uptown Streets Opening To Aid Social Distancing

UPTOWN, MANHATTAN — New York City streets opening to pedestrians Monday to help with social distancing include three in Washington Heights and Inwood.

City officials began closing off roughly seven miles of New York streets in and near city parks on Friday in the first wave of Mayor Bill de Blasio's plan to open up 100 miles of New York City roadways during the coronavirus pandemic.

In Manhattan, nearly all of the open streets can be found Uptown, including in Fort Tryon Park, Highbridge Park and Lt. William Tighe Triangle.

Barricades and signs will alert drivers to the closures and enforcement will come via the Department of Transportation, FDNY, NYPD and local community groups, according to DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg.

"This will be well protected and well regulated space," said de Blasio. "A family will feel very, very comfortable."

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Other parks with closed streets will be Callahan-Kelly Park in Brooklyn, Grant Park in The Bronx, Silver Lake Park in Upper Staten Island, Flushing Meadows Park and Forest Park — which the Mayor's office called Forest Hill Park — in Queens.

Some streets near Williamsbridge Oval, Court Square, Carl Schurz Park, Highbridge Park, Prospect Park and Stapleon Waterfront Park will also be closed, de Blasio said.

Here are the details about the Northern Manhattan streets:

• .88 miles of Margaret Corbin Drive, from Fort Washington Avenue to Cabrini Boulevard
• .05 miles of Lt. William Tighe Triangle, from Broadway to Seaman
• .41 miles of Laurel Hill Terrace, from Amsterdam Avenue to Amsterdam Avenue

City Hall first reached its agreement with City Council — which was pushing a plan to force the city to pedestrianize streets — on Monday.

A bill introduced by the City Council last week during the body's first remote meeting proposed opening up 75 miles of city streets for pedestrian use.

Other elected officials have proposed opening 16 streets on Manhattan's west side and opening up Broadway from Union Square to Central Park.

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