Avenue B now has wider corners, a two-way bike route and planters at every intersection from East Fourth Street to East 14th Street. The city's Department of Transportation announced on Oct. 13 that it has finished the permanent redesign of the Avenue B Open Street, the car-light corridor along the east side of Tompkins Square Park that neighbors have used as a walking, biking and gathering space since the city's Open Streets program began in 2020.

Construction started at the end of June. Less than four months later, the temporary barriers that once marked the Open Street have given way to built changes meant to stay.

What changed on the street

Every intersection in the project area now has pedestrian curb extensions, the bump-outs that push the sidewalk corner farther into the roadway. DOT protected each one with planters, bike corrals, granite blocks or similar elements. The extensions add public space at the corners, shorten the distance people walk to cross, and make pedestrians easier to see.

The agency also reversed the direction of car traffic on part of the avenue. Between East Seventh Street and East 10th Street, the blocks that run along Tompkins Square Park, vehicles now travel northbound only. DOT says the change trims traffic to local trips, leaving a calmer roadway for a two-way cycling route designed for riders of all abilities. Emergency vehicles and city vehicles such as sanitation trucks can still use the full avenue.

To keep large trucks off the corridor, DOT added neighborhood loading zones at the start and end of every block. Vans can still use Avenue B for deliveries, loading and unloading.

Open Street hours stay the same

The Open Street itself continues as before. Pedestrians are encouraged to use the roadway from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, the same hours that have been in place on the corridor. For residents who walk to Tompkins Square Park or the schools near the avenue, the result is a street that looks and works differently even outside those hours: shorter crossings, more room at the corners, and fewer cars cutting through.

How it came together

Avenue B was one of the Open Streets that grew out of the 2020 program, when local volunteers and groups began programming the street with block parties, mutual aid and community events under the name Loisaida Open Streets. DOT presented draft designs for a permanent version in the summer of 2025, and the June 2026 construction start was announced with the work expected to wrap up within several weeks. The October release confirmed the work was complete.

The finished project covers roughly 10 blocks, from East Fourth Street, just north of Houston Street, up to East 14th Street. The original construction announcement described the work as reaching East 12th Street; the completion announcement lists East 14th Street as the north end.

Want an Open Street on your block?

Alongside the Avenue B announcement, DOT opened sign-ups for the 2027 Open Streets season. Community organizations, schools, business groups and other eligible partners can propose a street in their own neighborhood. Deadlines depend on the type of Open Street:

  • Full closure Open Streets that want restaurant seating in the roadbed: Nov. 13, 2026, for a May 2027 launch.
  • Full closure and limited local access Open Streets: Dec. 31, 2026, for a May 2027 launch.
  • School Open Streets: Dec. 31, 2026, for a spring 2027 launch, or May 7, 2027, for a launch at the start of the 2027 to 2028 school year.

DOT says each proposal takes at least 90 days to review, and some take longer. Schools that ran a Play Street in past years now need to go through the Open Streets: Schools program, since the Play Street program has ended. This season the agency also simplified how partners pay for full closure and limited local access streets, added new seating agreements for full closure streets, and expanded support for school Open Streets. Details are at nyc.gov/openstreets.

Getting there

The redesigned stretch runs along Avenue B from East Fourth Street to East 14th Street. The closest subway stops are the L at First Avenue (at East 14th Street) and the F at Second Avenue (at Houston Street), each a few blocks west. The M14A and M14D Select Bus Service routes run along 14th Street. The Open Street is active daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.; the curb extensions, planters and bike route are there around the clock.

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