The City Council
voted Thursday to allow outdoor dining structures to stay up and running around New York City all year long.
Outdoor dining sheds have been lining the streets of New York City since the COVID-19 pandemic. For some, it's a great way to eat outside but for others, it's an eye sore.
What started out as a temporary program has remained a mainstay in the NYC dining scene three years later. The passing of this bill, which was proposed by City Council Member Marjorie Velazquez, will help the city transition from pandemic-era outdoor dining to a more permanent system.
The bill allows sidewalk cafes to operate year-round and roadway cafes to operate eight months out of the year.It would also lower the costs for restaurants to participate in the program.
The Department of Transportation will now work to create create guidelines for how the roadway structures operate.