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Looking around your neighborhood, you probably assume the drivers on the street are your neighbors. Or maybe they work in the area. But we've crunched the numbers—most drivers on our neighborhood streets are actually just cutting through to somewhere else. They're not locals, and they're not visiting a friend or a shop; they're using your residential streets like a highway. In Washington Heights, 88% of drivers are not starting or ending their trip in the area! The problem is everywhere—only six Council Districts in the whole city have less than 50% cut-through traffic. 

New York City's residential streets were meant for homes, ball games, corner chats, and bike lessons. But they're clogged with cut-through drivers. Imagine how calm and local your neighborhood would feel if half of the cars evaporated; you could do that and not inconvenience a single person who actually needed access to the area. 

That's where Low Traffic Neighborhoods come in. LTNs reroute through-traffic back onto bigger roads meant to carry cars longer distances. Residents keep their parking and vehicle access but overall traffic is reduced by 50%. Our local streets once again become places for locals. Also, anyone who needs car access to the area (including deliveries and emergency vehicles) could get around much faster.

We're launching a new campaign to pilot the first Low Traffic Neighborhood in New York City. It's a campaign that could bring our neighborhoods back to the good old days.

Join NYers at Brooklyn Bridge Park on Friday, May 16, at 12:30pm to support the ‘We Get Around New York’ bill. Pushing billions from highways into walking, cycling, transit, and accessibility projects all over the New York state!

What drivers see, what pedestrians and cyclists experience when moving around the city when there is daylighting. Not only are intersections safer, but the amenities provided by daylighting make them more livable — everyone benefits!

Our policies, budgets, and cultural narratives assume that everyone can and does drive. Drawing from personal experience as a visually impaired parent, Anna Zivarts shows how these assumptions are harmful.

🍻 Hang with fellow New Yorkers who believe in our city's growth potential at Abundance New York's Happy Hour on Wednesday, May 14, 6-8PM! Find your political home with folks fighting for more housing, better transit, and vibrant public spaces. Head to Little Rebel's second floor (219 2nd Ave) to connect with advocates building the NYC we all deserve.

🪢 Remember when the street was your playground? Relive classic pavement games this Sunday, May 18th from 12-4PM at Sol Lain Park! Stoop Stories and Henry Street Settlement bring together three generations to share Double Dutch, stoop ball, and more at their Old Skool Street Games Festival. Bring kids, grandparents, and your inner child to 271 Henry Street for this free community celebration.

🏪 Have storefront dreams in East Harlem? Apply for $25,000 grants through the East Harlem Business Attraction Program! Union Settlement, NYC Small Business Services, and Deputy Speaker Diana Ayala are filling retail vacancies with community-focused businesses. Get funding plus lease, marketing, and operational support. Applications are now open thru June 30th.

💬 Calling all Northeast Harlem neighbors! The Harlem Neighborhood Block Association is revamping their comms resources and needs community feedback. Whether you're a longtime member or new neighbor in the 118th-130th Street area, tell them what you need.

🎯 Escape the workweek grind at Time Out @ Fabrik! Join this special Saturday adventure on May 17, 12-6PM featuring a DUMBO scavenger hunt, local food exploration, and Ice Cool happy hour with DJ Jori Bell. Bring friends and family to 20 Jay St for board games, summer spritzers, and a chance to win a $100 Fabrik membership.

🎨 Celebrate spring at Park Avenue Day, a street festival on Saturday, May 17, 10AM-6PM! Join 50,000+ neighbors between 34th and 39th Streets for 150+ booths of art, entertainment, food, and shopping. Don't miss the U.S. debut of Michel Bassompierre's giant sculptures with tours throughout the day and official ribbon cutting at 4PM. Everyone's welcome - no tickets needed!

🧘🏾‍♀️ Wellness meets community at Zion Triangle! The Pitkin Avenue BID brings you the Brownsville Wellness Market on Thursday, May 30 & June 27 from 4-8PM with free fitness classes, local vendors, and live programming all evening. Discover wellness brands, handmade goods, and creative entrepreneurs transforming this Brownsville corner into a hub of health. Free for all to enjoy!

🌳 Tired of Conduit Avenue splitting your neighborhood? NYC DOT wants to reconnect communities along the Conduit Corridor from Brooklyn to Queens. Voice your ideas for safer crossings, better transit, and usable open space at kickoff workshops: Tuesday, June 10, 7-8:30PM at Robert H. Goddard JHS 202 or online Thursday, June 12, 7-8:30PM. Register by May 23 for accessibility needs.

🏗 Ever wondered how NYC gets water from the Catskills or why manholes overflow during storms? CityWorks, New York Hall of Science’s groundbreaking 6,000-square-foot exhibit, reveals the invisible systems keeping cities alive. Drive a bus, flush toilets to see combined sewers in action, and explore how natural and built systems intersect. Opens daily in Queens - admission $22 adults/$19 kids includes full access!

🌟 Make Thursday afternoons special at Brownsville Open Streets! From now through November 6, Bristol Street opens up for community fun every Thursday, 2-4PM. Find games, books, bike safety tips, and health resources at 259 Bristol St between Blake and Dumont. Limited car access means more space for neighbors to connect, play, and thrive together!

🎉 Celebrate 20 years of Long Island City's growth at LIC Springs! This free street festival takes over Vernon Blvd on Saturday, May 31, 12-5PM with 130+ local businesses offering live performances, art workshops, fitness classes, and interactive games.Iit's your chance to experience all of LIC in one afternoon. Free and family-friendly!

🍃 Have a say in New York City's first Urban Forest Plan! Help the Mayor's Office of Climate & Environmental Justice and NYC Parks determine how to equitably expand our tree canopy from streets to parks to yards. Your feedback will guide strategies for cooler neighborhoods, cleaner air, and climate resilience. Survey open until June 16, 2025.

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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