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This is a HUGE moment for NYC streets. Daylighting, which stops drivers from parking right up against a crosswalk, is headed to City Council for a hearing. If this bill passes, we could be finished leaning into intersections, peering around parking cars, every time we need to cross a street! But we need to show that we want it.

Here are things you can do—in the next week—to improve your daily experience of NYC:

1. Rally with us on the City Hall steps - this Monday, April 21st at 9:00 AM - to support a City Council bill that would mandate every intersection be daylit
2. Use our toolkit to submit testimony to City Council saying that you support daylighting
3. Thursday, April 17th, change your profile pic and post on social to show decision makers just how many New Yorkers want daylighting at every intersection

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We’re offering young professionals a discounted $100 ticket to May 1st's Public Space Awards for supporting Open Plans! When you donate $10 or more per month, you’ll unlock access to this exclusive ticket tier—allowing you to celebrate transformations like IS528's and Gotham Park's while directly contributing to the future of New York City’s public spaces.

Donate monthly & you’ll receive your exclusive discounted invitation to May 1st's Awards, this year held at Brooklyn Winery!

Tomorrow, April 17th, we’ll use social media to celebrate daylighting’s many benefits & tell decision makers that NYers want them to bring these changes to our streets. Use this Day of Action Kit with graphics, sample content, and posts you can repost!

The new Dining Out NYC Program program could use some improvement, luckily the City Council will be meeting on April 23rd at 10 am to discuss it. Use our Testimony Toolkit with everything you need to testify in-person or online.

Restaurants owners decided to simply not apply to the new outdoor dining program due to its complexity and high costs, affecting especially small businesses. But many leaders want to improve the program and make it year-round.

🌞 Help us learn about your experience with Summer Streets! Fill out this survey and share with us how you like them, and how we could do to make them better!

💦 Learn about flooding through song, dance, and sequins! Flood Sensor Aunty brings free performances to all five boroughs with climate resources, chai, and community connections. Starring and directed by our very own Schools Planner, Sabina Sethi Unni. Coming to a public space near you!

♿ Help shape MTA accessibility upgrades! Take the survey to prioritize which stations should receive improvements next. The 2025-2029 Capital Plan will make 60+ stations accessible, but your input is needed. View current accessibility maps and share your priorities today.

🥚 Egg-citing family fun with Pitkin Avenue BID on Saturday, April 19, 2025! Start with the Easter Parade (12PM, Zion Triangle) then hunt for eggs at Betsy Head Field (1-4PM). Free community event with activities for all ages.

🧹 Green up District 30 on Saturday, April 19th, 10AM-12PM! AM Raga's Earth Day of Action brings volunteers to Woodside, Elmhurst, and Jackson Heights. Bring supplies and neighbors!

🛣️ Help make 31st Street safer for everyone! This corridor ranks in Queens' top 10% most dangerous streets with 190 neighbors hurt since 2020. Sign the petition supporting DOT's plan that could reduce pedestrian injuries by 29% and create better organization for all road users.

🌳 Brooklyn College Sustainability Fair on Tuesday, April 22, 12-2:30PM! Connect with local sustainability efforts, enjoy music and treats at West Quad. Stop by Open Plans' table for campaign info and free swag!

🌿 Car-Free Earth Day takes over NYC on Saturday, April 26, 10AM-4PM! DOT and community partners reclaim streets at 54 locations for climate education, art, and sustainability activities. A perfect way to welcome Open Streets season.

🌷Earth Day comes alive on Avenue B Open Street (between 7th-9th Streets), Saturday, April 26th, 12-4PM! Catch Batalá New York and Tilted Axes performances, create chalk art, join workshops, and explore garden tours. Hosted by Loisaida Open Streets and LUNGS NYC.

🌻 Celebrate spring at NYCHA Farms & Gardens Summit on Saturday, April 26, 10:30AM-3:30PM! Join fellow gardeners at Ingersoll Community Center (Brooklyn) for workshops, urban agriculture resources, and giveaways. All NYCHA residents are welcome, from experts to beginners.

🚲 Junction On Wheels is back this year for Car-Free Earth Day on Saturday, April 26, 10AM-2PM at Hillel Plaza! The Flatbush Nostrand Junction BID is turning into a Cycling Lab for bike repairs, riding lessons, free helmets, and a kids' bike raffle. Stop by our table as well to learn more about our campaigns!

🚇 QueensLink Town Hall on Monday, April 28, 6:30-8PM at Queens College Dining Hall (Room 122)! NYPIRG hosts discussion on extending the M-line to connect North-South Queens with new transit, bike paths, walking trails, and parks. Enjoy refreshments and enter to win a free weekly MetroCard!

🎭 NYC's sassiest civic debate returns with "Not In My Backyard!" on Tuesday, April 30, 7-8 PM at UCB Theatre. Watch comedians and experts tackle local dramas plaguing neighborhood Facebook groups. In-person or livestream options available.

Your favorite outdoor cafés are disappearing as restaurants close their streeteries under the burden of seasonal regulations. Help us fight for a sustainable, year-round program accessible to small businesses in all boroughs. Donate now and your gift will be doubled up to $25,000! Support this pandemic silver lining and tell City Hall our streets belong to people.

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

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