NYC Installs 1st Open Streets Gate Outside Tribeca School

NEW YORK CITY — New York City is expanding street-safety measures around schools as students return for the new school year.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani along with NYC Department of Transportation Commissioner Mike Flynn announced new initiatives to slow traffic and create safer spaces for children and families.

In Tribeca, NYC DOT will install the city’s first gated Open Street outside a school this month on Clarkson Street between Hudson and Varick streets. Inspired by Paris’ school streets, the project will expand pedestrian space, add public seating, improve crossings and visibility, and encourage slower driving.

The redesign is being carried out in partnership with City-As-School High School, M.S. 721 and Open Plans.

“Every student deserves to feel safe when they make their way to school, and every parent deserves the same peace of mind,” Mamdani said. “From Sammy’s Law and Open Streets to installing street redesigns near 300 City schools, our administration will continue to take action to ensure our streets are safe, especially those surrounding our children’s schools.”

The Clarkson Street project is one of 77 school Open Streets launching across the city for the new school year. Participating streets can be temporarily closed to vehicles during drop-off and pick-up, recess and outdoor learning.

The city has already installed more than 200 15 mph School Slow Zones this year, with approximately 800 expected by the end of 2026. The expansion follows Mamdani’s pledge to reduce speed limits to 15 mph at every eligible school location during his first term under Sammy’s Law.

NYC DOT is also implementing permanent street-safety improvements near more than 300 schools across the five boroughs in 2026, including projects on Beaumont Avenue in the Bronx and Avenue B in Manhattan.