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Students enjoy a cumbia dance class during a school street visioning event in College Point, Queens. Photo by Ghuncha Shaheed

A few scenarios where school streets can come to the rescue:

• a building doesn't have recreation space, inside or outside
• the street outside a school is gridlocked with traffic, making it dangerous for students to enter or exit
• a sidewalk is overflowing with kids, parents, & educators during peak hours
• construction has limited the available space inside or outside a school building

That last situation is exactly what inspired PS134 in Hollis, Queens to request a school street recently and we were thrilled to help them do it. Their new car-free space will give students the freedom to run, play & socialize while ensuring that arrival & dismissal times are as safe & stress-free as possible.

Of course we believe that every NYC school would benefit from a school street! If you know a school that could use safe, fun, versatile, car-free space near their building, reach out to us. Just reply to this email. We'd love to help.

Schools out: the perfect opportunity to make big plans for the next academic year. We compiled a list of ten things DOT & other City agencies should do now to keep our youngest New Yorkers (& their parents & teachers!) safer, healthier & happier come September.

Join us & Comrades with Kids for this webinar TONIGHT on the basics of schools streets - what they are, why they're beneficial for a kids, teachers & educators, and how you can request that DOT designate one in your school community.

🌞 Summer Streets is back with new extended hours! The 2024 season kicks off on Saturday, July 27th with car-free fun in Queens and Staten Island from 7AM to 3PM. 

🔦 District 33 in Brooklyn (Boerum Hill, Brooklyn Heights, Downtown Brooklyn, Dumbo, Fulton Ferry, Vinegar Hill, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Williamsburg, Greenpoint, and the Brooklyn Navy Yard) is asking neighbors to identify priority intersections for daylighting. Submit yours here.

✍️ Sign this petition to support a permanent, protected public plaza at Bedford Slip in Williamsburg, one of North Brooklyn's highest pedestrian traffic areas.

🎪 Bindlestiff Family Cirkus is rolling their Flatbed Follies show to an Open Street near you! Check their July & August show dates to find out where this grand spectacle will be next.

🤸🏽 A 20-station obstacle course, bounce house, face painting, arts & crafts, street games & discover zone await kids on July 26th at E 106th Street between Lexington and 3rd Avenue. The fun lasts from 12pm to 4pm.

🍽 Deadline for applications for permanent outdoor dining is August 3.

Open Plans |  377 Broadway, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10013-3907

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