Outdoor Dining Survey Reveals 93% Are Violating Critical Guidelines

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: cueup.nyc@gmail.com

NEW SURVEY OF OUTDOOR DINING BY NYC COUNCIL SPEAKER REVEALS 93% IN VIOLATION OF CRITICAL GUIDELINES

Critics call survey findings ‘tip of the iceberg’ and demand the City sunset the Open Restaurants program.

New York, NY (August 20, 2021) On August 16, representatives from NYC Council Speaker Corey Johnson’s office presented Manhattan Community Board 2 with a survey of 418 outdoor restaurants in his district. The results revealed that 93% were out of compliance with one or more rules, most of which impact public safety. Among these are:

• Obstructing emergency vehicle access

• Obstructing sidewalk access for the disabled  

• Obstructing bike lanes

• Blocking fire hydrants

• Blocking road signage

• Blocking gas and electric utility access

The Coalition United for Equitable Urban Policy (CUEUP) has issued the following statement:

“Speaker Johnson’s survey reveals only the tip of a very large iceberg. As damning as it is, the survey only covers siting issues. There was no assessment of noise, trash, rats, propane heaters (fire hazard), outdoor electric heaters (climate hazard), or inadequate air circulation (Covid hazard). These are all issues that have plagued the program from the beginning. 

It speaks volumes that after 14 months operating under Open Restaurants, a mere 7% of participating restaurants can manage to follow simple, clearly stated, essential rules. But even if all operators suddenly changed their behavior, there are key elements to the Open Restaurants program that can’t be fixed even with the best of intentions. You can’t widen a street that’s too narrow for both a shed and an emergency vehicle. You can’t stop rats from being attracted to an unlimited source of food. You can’t stop fifty to a hundred alcohol-fueled customers from shouting, laughing, or singing beneath the windows of residents until the wee hours.

Open Restaurants is a fatally flawed program that can only be justified during an emergency. The Mayor is committed to reopening New York. Indoor dining is fully operational, and has been since June. Under these circumstances, there is no longer a need for an unmanageable program that negatively impacts public safety and our quality of life. When the flood recedes, you don’t leave sandbags piled up on the streets. Open Restaurants must have a sunset date.” 

Reference: Office of NY City Council Speaker Corey Johnson, Temporary Open Restaurants Survey Analysis