Washington Heights' Audubon Ave. To Open For Social Distancing

WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, NY — About 10 blocks on Audubon Avenue will soon open to pedestrians and cyclists as part of the mayor's "Open Streets" plan.

Mayor Bill de Blasio revealed the next phase of his "Open Streets" initiative on Wednesday, which includes about nine miles of protected bike lanes and 13 new miles of streets opening to pedestrians and cyclists to help with social distancing.

In Washington Heights, the latest expansion means a little more than a half-mile on Audubon Avenue will be closed to most cars and open to pedestrians and cyclists.

The open street will stretch from 183rd to 193rd street.

It will be monitored by a group called "Connectemos."

The citywide expansion is part of the mayor's commitment to open 100 miles of New York City streets to allow New Yorkers to get outside while staying apart to stop the spread of the coronavirus. De Blasio said Wednesday the expansion brings the city to 67 miles of that goal, though that total includes new protected bike lanes, not just open streets.

Uptown has also opened up streets in Fort Tryon Park, Highbridge Park and Lt. William Tighe Triangle in previous phases of the mayor's plan.

City officials plan to outfit some of the Open Streets with shady areas and spraying fire hydrants to help New Yorkers stay cool in the summer heat, they announced this week.

The new "Cool Streets" model will be added to open streets that are in the most heat-burdened communities, though city officials have not yet specified where those blocks will be.

Find a full list of the city's Open Streets here.