Mamdani Falls Short of Campaign Pledge to Expand Open Streets Funding Amid Budget Crunch

Mayor Mamdani is not carrying out his campaign pledge to grow the Open Streets program — at least not yet.

In his proposed budget released last week, Mamdani allocated just $2 million per year through 2030 for Summer Streets and Open Streets — less than the $2.1 million that the Adams administration budgeted last year for Open Streets alone.

And the Open Streets share of that $2 million is a tiny portion of the $5 million DOT officials said last year they needed to keep just the program running at its pandemic-era capacity.

Nonetheless, Mamdani officials “do not anticipate” reductions to either Open Streets or Summer Streets, said City Hall spokesman Sam Raskin.

“The $2-million baselined funding will help fund both Open Streets and Summer Streets this year, starting in Fiscal Year 2027 and in future fiscal years,” Raskin told Streetsblog via email. “This tranche of money will sustain the Open Street season for another year, following the loss of federal Covid funds, while also helping support Summer Streets.”

Mamdani, who pledged to fully fund and expand Open Streets, has reneged on several campaign pledges as he’s faced the realities of municipal budgeting. Libraries and parks also received the short-shrift despite Mamdani’s promise to give them more money.

It’s not clear how much of Mamdani’s proposed $2 million will go to Open Streets versus Summer Streets, an older program that bars cars on miles of roadways for recreational activities on five Saturdays in summer. The full scope and budget of this year’s Summer Streets has yet to be determined, according to DOT spokesman Nick Benson.

Former Mayor Eric Adams gave Open Streets a one-time allocation $2.1 million last year to replace expired federal Covid funds, but left future funding to his successor.

The Mamdani administration called the $2 million in new funding “a down payment to support the programs as the administration explores bold new ideas for our streets.” The total combined budget for the two programs is “nearly $10 million,” but officials declined to share how that compares to previous years.

“The city’s budget is still being sorted out, but NYC DOT will continue to fund these programs through its operating budget,” Raskin said. “The administration does not anticipate it will yield any reductions in the programs.”

Open Streets organizers said the money fell short of what they’d hoped to receive.

“I think it’s a sign that they’re sustaining interest in investment in the program,” said John Surico, chairperson of the 31st Avenue Open Street in Astoria. “It remains to be seen how much they’re willing to scale it and do more with it, and that’s something organizers are going to be keen to watch.”

Mamdani’s failure to expand Open Streets may ultimately worsen his budgetary headaches, as studies have shown the program correlates with increased jobs and decreased storefront vacancies — both of which juice the city’s tax receipts.

Open Streets across the city saw fewer storefront vacancies than commercial strips without car-free hours, the Department of City Planning reported in 2024. Another study, released last month by State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli, found job growth on non-school Open Streets also outpaced other parts of the city. Fewer vacancies and more jobs mean more taxes paid to city coffers.

Yet several of the city’s Open Streets have shrunk in hours and geographic footprint in recent years as federal pandemic emergency funding for them dried up. The Vanderbilt Avenue Open Street, for example, which once operated three days a week in-season, now only runs on Saturdays.

After years on the back-foot, advocates welcomed Mamdani’s move to continue funding the program — another “down payment” from the new mayor to transform city streets.

“Continued investment is good. We hope that, longer term, City Hall takes an approach that’s rooted in growth and one that fully funds and sustains open streets in a way that lets them thrive,” said Jackson Chabot, advocacy director of Open Plans, a group that shares a parent organization with Streetsblog.