Bell Boulevard in Bayside has been chosen as a business corridor to participate in the city’s new “Open Streets: Restaurants” program.
The initiative combined Open Streets, which closes roads to traffic, with Open Restaurants, which allows for outdoor dining, on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
The Bayside Village BID will facilitate the street closures. Bell Boulevard between 39th Avenue and 41st Avenue, as well as 41st Avenue between Bell Boulevard and 214th Place, will be closed on Friday evenings, Saturdays from 5 to 11 p.m., and Sundays from noon to 10 p.m.
The expanded outdoor seating will last until Labor Day.
For those asking about emergency vehicle access, an emergency clear lane will be maintained down the middle of the street.
“Between our customers and our restaurant owners, it’s hard to tell who’s happier!” said Christine Silletti, executive director of the Bayside Village BID. “It was important to support all of our small businesses, so we discussed the options as a community, as well as block by block, in order to come up with a plan.”