Everyday cycling feels normal in a Low Traffic Neighborhood. Photos from London by Clarence Eckerson Jr., Streetfilms

Dear [first-name],

We love May, because May means Bike Month! As the temperature starts to climb, there’s no better way to experience everything the city has to offer. From neighborhood errands to rides through your local park, biking in NYC continues to be one of the fastest, most joyful, and most freeing ways to get around.

And as more New Yorkers take to the streets on their bicycles, our work at Open Plans feels especially urgent and timely. We need streets that welcome all bikers, from the most intrepid, daily cyclist to the 7 year old who wants to bike to school with their friends. That’s why we have been working hard over the last year to educate our fellow New Yorkers about Low Traffic Neighborhoods (LTNs). By reducing cut-through traffic and prioritizing local access, there are fewer cars zooming through the neighborhood. The natural result when this happens? Streets that are calm and quiet, where it’s easier for people to walk and bike without the need for protected bike lanes or other infrastructure. In other words, the streets support daily life.

The data backs this up. When streets are quieter and more inviting, more New Yorkers choose to ride:

Streets inside LTNs see an average traffic reduction of 46.9% — with little indication that traffic simply shifts onto surrounding roads.
In Stoke Newington, North London, one LTN produced a 38% increase in cycling alongside a 60% reduction in through traffic.
In Lambeth, cycling increased by 51% within the Railton LTN and 32% across the broader area.
People in LTNs become less likely to own a car and more likely to reduce their car usage overall.

Ready to make it happen in your neighborhood? Tell your city officials and DOT it's time.

Send a Letter

Cities around the world with LTNs are already seeing these benefits, and it’s time for NYC to join their ranks. LTNs would help us make every month Bike Month!

The Open Plans Team

SCHOOL STREETS

What School Streets can do for kids

What if the street outside your school was as valuable as the room inside it? Our Schools Planner Sabina Sethi Unni joined the Schoolutions podcast to explain how NYC's School Streets program works and how Open Plans helps schools access the program.

Watch now

OUTDOOR DINING

The financial toll of NYC's outdoor dining rules

Our Co-Executive Director Sara Lind took the case for better outdoor dining to the Schwab Network, breaking down how seasonal removal rules and steep storage costs are squeezing small restaurants — especially those outside Manhattan.

Watch now

EVENTS

Geek out on Queens streets with us

We're heading to Astoria for a fun evening of big ideas about the future of Queens streets. Together with 31st Ave Open Street, 34th Ave Open Street, and Civic Pulse, we'll dig into Low Traffic Neighborhoods and how reducing cut-through traffic could transform residential blocks across the borough.

RSVP

BILL WATCH

The Stop Super Speeders bill is 🤏 this close 🤏

With the state budget wrapping up, the Stop Super Speeders bill is down to one obstacle: Assembly Speaker Heastie. Call his office at 518-455-3791 and tell him to pass the bill. None of this momentum would exist without the tireless work of Transportation Alternatives and Families for Safe Streets and the intrepid coverage from Streetsblog—and YOU!

Call now

Things to do

📍 NYC DOT wants your input on where to install secure bike parking across the city! Use their feedback map to suggest locations and specify your needs — whether it's overnight storage, e-bike charging, or cargo bike space. The more specific you are, the better they can serve cyclists citywide.

🛣️ How did one highway reshape — and devastate — entire Brooklyn and Queens neighborhoods? "The Story of the BQE" traces Robert Moses's expressway from original vision through construction and lasting community impact, weaving together archival photography, oral histories, and historian interviews. Created by Adam Paul Susaneck of Segregation by Design with the Institute for Public Architecture as part of their BQE 2053 project. Free on YouTube now.

🌿 A once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform Midtown's Park Avenue is underway. NYC DOT is redesigning the corridor from 46th to 57th Street, expanding medians and adding greenery, seating, and pedestrian and cycling space. Public feedback is open now, so take the survey and weigh in on the future of one of the city's most iconic streets.

🚲 Get your juices flowing with Wheatgrass Rides — a series of guided bike rides and walks to Uptown's top wellness spots! Join El Barrio Bikes and East Harlem Walks on Sat, May 9, 16, or 23 | 11AM–1PM to sample smoothies and shots from local juice bars. Bikes and helmets provided. Just register and show up!

🌱 Got a neighborhood idea worth funding? CitizensNYC's Community Leaders Grants and Neighborhood Business Grants offer up to $5,000 for everyday New Yorkers ready to take action. From food pantries to youth apprenticeships, they fund the projects closest to the community — and support you long after the check arrives. Applications are open now through July 27.

🚴🏿‍♀️ NYC DOT is giving away free bike helmets and lights across the city this spring! Upcoming May helmet fittings include Crocheron Park in Queens (May 9, 11AM–3PM), Prospect Park's Parade Grounds (May 16, 11AM–3PM), Spuyten Duyvil Playground in the Bronx (May 17, 11AM–3PM), and more. Bike light giveaways are also happening at locations across all five boroughs throughout the month.

🏛️ Public voting is open for the 14th Annual Architizer A+Awards, celebrating the world's best buildings and spaces. Browse this year's finalists and cast your vote for the Popular Choice Awards. Winners will be announced in June, and your vote helps shape which projects earn global recognition. Vote now through the end of May!

Open Plans
PO Box 1009
New York, NY 10013

[browser link available in email] | unsubscribe