Press Releases
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 24, 2022
Contact: (212) 839-4850, press@dot.nyc.gov
'Trick-or-Streets': Adams Administration Announces First-Ever Expansion of Open Street Hours for Halloween, Cuts Ribbon on 34th Avenue Redesign in Queens
Nearly 100 Open Streets and other newly pedestrianized streets will be car-free next Monday evening, October 31st, activated for ghoulish “Trick-or Streets” events that will allow families more public space in celebration of Halloween.
The 34th Avenue Open Street in Jackson Heights is also celebrated -- as extraordinary public space improvements implemented by DOT this year have permanently prioritized pedestrians and cyclists.
NEW YORK—Mayor Eric Adams and NYC Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez today announced the activation of nearly 100 Open Streets and other newly pedestrianized streets to celebrate Halloween night. Today's event was held along the 34th Avenue Open Street in Jackson Heights, Queens, one of the prime locations being activated next Monday for a groundbreaking program being called "Trick-or-Streets". See location list below, or visit the Trick-or-Streets map. Commissioner Rodriguez also joined community groups, advocates, and local elected officials to cut the ribbon on 34th Avenue, one of next week's locations that is also New York City's longest Open Street.
"As we permanently open the gold standard, Open Street on 34th Avenue, we hope every family and every child has a safe and enjoyable Halloween with special evening Trick-or-Streets across the entire city," said New York City Mayor Eric Adams. "This program brings together communities and city government to promote safety, community, and fun, and I want to thank all our partners on the ground for their contributions. Happy Halloween, New Yorkers!"
"I am incredibly excited to build on the triumph of our thriving Open Streets program by launching our first ever Trick-Or-Streets initiative this Halloween, providing greater access to safer, shared community spaces," said NYC Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez. "I thank Mayor Adams and our dedicated staff for planning this groundbreaking event and hope families will take the opportunity to safely Trick-Or-Treat on an Open Street. And as a bonus, we are celebrating Trick-or-Streets with all the fiendish friends and community partners who have made the official ribbon-cutting along the incredible 34th Avenue Open Street possible."
34th Avenue Open Street
DOT today celebrated the substantial completion of the 34th Ave Open Street redesign, a groundbreaking project that has transformed 1.3 miles of 34th Avenue into a pedestrian and cyclist priority corridor. The project includes new plaza and shared street blocks centered at the schools, enhancing safety, accessibility, and creating vibrant programming space for children attending the seven schools within a block of the Jackson Heights corridor.
Started in the depths of the pandemic in 2020, the 34th Avenue Open Street quickly developed into a family-focused oasis on what was once a car-centric corridor. A new network of community spaces was created for Jackson Heights neighbors of all backgrounds and ages, the Open Street dramatically reduced vehicular volumes and through traffic. As a result of the changes, safety has improved for all road users, with a 41.7% drop in crashes involving pedestrians.
This project is a shining example of how DOT is working with communities to rethink New York City streets as public space, marking a significant stride in bringing new public spaces from Bike Boulevards to Shared Streets to Pedestrian Plaza to enhance completely residential corridors. DOT will continue to engage with the Jackson Heights community about the future of this corridor, including public surveys and visioning sessions for the capital project funded with $84M in city funding and an additional $750,000 from former City Council Member Daniel Dromm. The larger Open Streets program continues to transform streets for people and DOT has several similar public space projects either planned, or recently completed, in neighborhoods across the city.
Trick-or-Streets
For the first time, Open Streets will expand its hours into Halloween night, when families with children will be welcome to enjoy fa-boo-lous fun on select car-free streets.
In addition to 34th Avenue, Halloween Open Streets will occur on nearly 100 Open Streets and other newly pedestrianized streets on Monday, October 31st from 4 PM – 8PM. See location list below, or visit the Trick-or-Streets map.
NYC DOT is excited to partner with the following Open Streets for special activations on Halloween:
| Borough | Location | Streets | Partner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bronx | Jennings Street | Prospect Avenue to Chisholm Street | Caldwell Enrichment Program Inc |
| Bronx | Willis Avenue | East 147 Street to East 148 Street | Third Avenue Business Improvement District |
| Brooklyn | Berry Street | Broadway to North 12 Street | North Brooklyn Open Streets Community Coalition |
| Brooklyn | Beverly Road | East 2 Street to Church Avenue | NYC DOT |
| Brooklyn | Chauncey Street | Howard Avenue to Saratoga Avenue | Chauncey Street Block & Tenants Association |
| Brooklyn | Hall Street | Park Avenue to Myrtle Avenue | Hall Street Block Association |
| Brooklyn | Howard Avenue | Macon Street to Halsey Street | Friends of Saratoga Park Bed-Stuy + LLTCRN |
| Brooklyn | Joralemon Street | Furman Street to Hicks Street | Willowtown Association |
| Brooklyn | Pearl Street | Fulton Street to Dead End | Downtown Brooklyn Partnership |
| Brooklyn | Polhemus Place | Carroll Street to Garfield Place | Polhemus Place Block Association |
| Brooklyn | Reed Street | Van Brunt Street to Conover Street | Hometown BBQ |
| Brooklyn | Sharon Street | Olive Street to Morgan Avenue | Friends of Cooper Park |
| Brooklyn | South Portland Avenue | Dekalb Avenue to Lafayette Avenue | Fort Greene Open Streets Coalition |
| Brooklyn | State Street | Smith Street to Nevins Street | Boerum Hill Association |
| Brooklyn | Underhill Avenue | Atlantic Avenue to St Johns Place | Prospect Heights Neighborhood Development Council |
| Brooklyn | Washington Street | Front Street to Water Street | Dumbo Improvement District |
| Brooklyn | Watkins Street | Dead End to Belmont Avenue | Brownsville Community Justice Center |
| Brooklyn | West 9 Street | Henry Street to Hicks Street | Red Hook Initiative |
| Brooklyn | Willoughby Avenue | Washington Park to Hall Street | Fort Greene Open Streets Coalition |
| Brooklyn | Willoughby Street | Pearl Street to Jay Street | Downtown Brooklyn Partnership |
| Manhattan | Avenue B | East 6 Street to East 14 Street | Loisaida Open Streets Community Coalition |
| Manhattan | Avenue Of The Americas | Spring Street to Dominick Street | Hudson Square Business Improvement District |
| Manhattan | Bond Street | Lafayette Street to Bowery | il Buco |
| Manhattan | Broadway | West 25 Street to West 27 Street | Flatiron NoMad Partnership |
| Manhattan | Broome Street | Allen Street to Ludlow Street | Lower East Side Partnership |
| Manhattan | Canal Street | Essex Street to Orchard Street | Cervo's |
| Manhattan | Doyers Street | Chatham Square to Pell Street | Chinatown Business Improvement District |
| Manhattan | Duane Street | Hudson Street to West Broadway | Khe-Yo |
| Manhattan | East 115 Street | at Park Avenue | Uptown Grand Central |
| Manhattan | East 18 Street | Park Avenue South to Irving Place | Gramercy Neighborhood Associates |
| Manhattan | East 20 Street | Park Avenue South to Broadway | Rezdora |
| Manhattan | East 4 Street | Bowery to 2 Avenue | FABnyc |
| Manhattan | East 7 Street | Avenue A to 1 Avenue | Overthrow Hospitality |
| Manhattan | East 78 Street | Lexington Avenue to Park Avenue | The Allen-Stevenson School |
| Manhattan | Elizabeth Street | Spring Street to Prince Street | Peasant |
| Manhattan | Forsyth Street | East Broadway to Division Street | Chinatown Business Improvement District |
| Manhattan | Gansevoort Street | Hudson Street to 10 Avenue | Meatpacking District Management Association |
| Manhattan | Hester Street | Mott Street to Mulberry Street | LIttle Italy Merchants Association |
| Manhattan | Hudson Boulevard East | West 35 Street to West 36 Street | Hudson Yards Hell's Kitchen Alliance |
| Manhattan | Hudson Boulevard West | West 35 Street to West 36 Street | Hudson Yards Hell's Kitchen Alliance |
| Manhattan | Lafayette Street | Spring Street to Kenmare Street | Altamarea Group |
| Manhattan | Little West 12 Street | Washington Street to 9 Avenue | Meatpacking District Management Association |
| Manhattan | Ludlow Street | Stanton Street to Rivington Street | Lower East Side Partnership |
| Manhattan | Morton Street | 7 Avenue South to Bleecker Street | Cara JECM LLC |
| Manhattan | Mulberry Street | Hester Street to Broome Street | Little Italy Merchants Association |
| Manhattan | Orchard Street | Grand Street to Delancey Street | Lower East Side Partnership |
| Manhattan | Pell Street | Bowery to Mott Street | Chinatown Business Improvement District |
| Manhattan | Rivington Street | Chrystie Street to Bowery | Ray's Bar |
| Manhattan | Rivington Street | Allen Street to Ludlow Street | Lower East Side Partnership |
| Manhattan | Rivington Street | Eldridge Street to Forsyth Street | JADIS |
| Manhattan | Spring Street | Mott Street to Elizabeth Street | Mari Makan |
| Manhattan | Spring Street | Thompson Street to West Broadway | Bistro Les Amis |
| Manhattan | Stanton Street | Allen Street to Ludlow Street | Lower East Side Partnership |
| Manhattan | Stone Street | Hanover Square to Coenties Alley | Stone Street Community Association |
| Manhattan | Waverly Place | 7 Avenue South to Christopher Street | Jeffrey's Grocery |
| Manhattan | West 103 Street | Riverside Drive to Broadway | Park to Park 103 |
| Manhattan | West 120 Street | Lenox Avenue to Mt Morris Park West | Marcus Meets Malcolm |
| Manhattan | West 13 Street | Hudson Street to Washington Street | Meatpacking District Management Association |
| Manhattan | West 196 Street | Broadway to Ellwood Street | City College Academy of the Arts |
| Manhattan | West 21 Street | 10 Avenue to 9 Avenue | West 21st Street Open Streets Coalition |
| Manhattan | West 22 Street | 5 Avenue to Avenue Of The Americas | Flatiron NoMad Partnership |
| Manhattan | West 22 Street | 7 Avenue to 8 Avenue | Chelsea West 200 Block Association |
| Queens | 31 Avenue | 33 Street to 35 Street | 31st Ave Open Street Collective |
| Queens | 34 Avenue | 69 Street to Junction Boulevard | 34th Ave Open Streets Coalition |
| Queens | Barton Avenue | 149 Place to 150 Street | Asian American Federation |
| Queens | Murdock Avenue | 180 Street to Dead End | Addisleigh Park Civic Association |
| Queens | Woodside Avenue | 76 Street to 78 Street | Thai Community USA NYC |
In partnership with the NYC Street Activity Permit Office (SAPO), NYC DOT is also excited to partner with several locations opening space for pedestrians on Halloween:
| Borough | Location | Streets | Partner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bronx | Decatur Avenue | East Fordham Road to East 193 Street | 10th Annual Ms. Abbies Childrens Halloween Extravaganza |
| Brooklyn | 17 Street | 7 Avenue to 8 Avenue | 17 Street - Halloween 2022 |
| Brooklyn | Albemarle Road | Argyle Road to Rugby Road | Prospect Park South Annual Halloween Celebration |
| Brooklyn | Dean Street | Bond Street to Nevins Street | Dean Street Halloween Closure |
| Brooklyn | East 4 Street | Caton Avenue to Albemerle Road | 2022 Halloween Block Party |
| Brooklyn | Fulton Street | Rochester Avenue to Ralph Avenue | Halloween Trunk or Treat 2022 |
| Brooklyn | Lafayette Avenue | St Felix Street to Ashland Place Columbus Avenue | BAMboo 2022 |
| Brooklyn | Macon Street | Lewis Avenue to Stuyvesant Avenue | Masquerade on Macon |
| Brooklyn | Ovington Avenue | 12 Avenue to 13 Avenue | PS 176 Pumpkin Patch Event 2022 |
| Brooklyn | State Street | Nevins Street to 3 Avenue | State Street Halloween Block Party |
| Brooklyn | Waverly Avenue | Willoughby Avenue to Dekalb Avenue | Annual Clinton Hill Halloween Safety Walk With Street Activities |
| Manhattan | East 10 Street | 1 Avenue to 2 Avenue | Village Halloween Costume Ball |
| Manhattan | East 82 Street | 3 Avenue to Lexington Avenue | Halloween Party with Robin Hood Foundation |
| Manhattan | East 92 Street | Madison Avenue to Park Avenue | CHN Spooktacular |
| Manhattan | Laguardia Place | Washington Square South to West 3 Street | NYU and CB2 Childrens Halloween Parade |
| Manhattan | Wadsworth Avenue | West 176 Street to West 177 Street | Halloween Celebration |
| Manhattan | West 139 Street | Adam Clayton Powell Jr Boulevard to Frederick Douglass Boulevard | Strivers Row Halloween Event |
| Manhattan | West 69 Street | Central Park West to Broadway | Halloween Festival |
| Manhattan | West 78 Street | Amsterdam Avenue to Columbus Avenue | Halloween 2022 |
| Manhattan | West 90 Street | Central Park West to Columbus Avenue | Halloween Trick or Treating |
| Manhattan | West 95 Street | Central Park West to Columbus Avenue | West 95th Street 2022 Halloween Party |
| Queens | 39 Avenue | Barnett Avenue to 48 Street | Halloween Street Closure |
| Queens | 45 Avenue | 21 Street to 23 Street | Court Square Annual Halloween Trick or Treating |
| Queens | Hollis Avenue | 211 Street to 212 Street | A Haunting in Hollis |
NYC DOT's Public Space partners are joining in the fun throughout the Halloween weekend! Keep an eye out for Halloween and Dia de las Muertos programming at a plaza or Open Street near you. NYC DOT's Public Space Programing Initiative brings free arts, cultural, fitness, and educational experiences to public spaces that are free and open to New Yorkers of all ages and abilities. Learn more about Public Space Programming at www.nyc.gov/publicspaceprogramming
Upcoming Halloween Events on Monday, October 31st
Dumbo Arch Way
Pearl Street between Water Street and Anchorage Place, Brooklyn
4:00 pm - Annual March to the Arch - parade through Dumbo & Brooklyn Bridge Park, led by brass bands & puppets! (Start Washington at Water Streets).
4:30 pm -7:00 pm - Dumboween Party. Live music. Arts & crafts. Fa-boo-lous photo booth. Costume contest for humans and pets. And of course, candy. Plus pick up a map of trick or treating in the neighborhood.
12th Street Plaza
12th Street Between 44th Avenue and 43rd Road, Queens
4:00pm – 6:00pm Families! Trick or treat your way around the 12th Street Plaza with arts & crafts, candy and lots of fun!
Myrtle Avenue Plaza
Myrtle Avenue from Grand Avenue to Emerson Place, Brooklyn
4:00pm – 6:00pm Myrtle Avenue Monster Mash
The annual Halloween dance party on Myrtle Avenue is back with games, treats, a DJ, dancing and a special Thriller Dance off.
Quisqueya Plaza
Dyckman Street between Broadway and Seaman Avenue
3:00pm – Halloween Parade Spooktacular
3:00pm – 8:00pm – Quisqueya Plaza's First Halloween Party!
Join in the fun with games, food, beverage, and prizes for the best costume!
Open Streets Background
In May 2021, the New York City Council passed legislation to make Open Streets a permanent program. This bill codifies the Open Streets program as part of the City's administrative code. Through a permanent Open Street program, DOT has created a portal of engagement with the public to allow for a range of activities that promote safe and accessible transportation, economic development, support schools, and provide new ways for New Yorkers to enjoy cultural programming and build community. More on the program, including how to apply, can be found at nyc.gov/openstreets
"From farmer's markets to tai chi to kids' games and more, our Open Streets and the programming they offer have been revolutionary for our city on the heels of the COVID-19 pandemic. Turning these spaces into spooky hubs of haunted Halloween fun for families next week is yet another incredible example of why the Open Streets program is so great," said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. "On behalf of families from Jackson Heights, Woodside Flushing, Astoria and Addisleigh Park, I thank the DOT for the activation of these open streets for the holiday."
"Halloween is a tradition enjoyed by people of all ages, and the Trick-or-Streets project will guarantee a safe festivity packed weekend," said Congressman Adriano Espaillat (NY-13). "I commend New York City Mayor Adams and Commissioner Rodriguez on the Trick-or-Streets initiative to help keep residents out of harm's way this Halloween."
"Nothing could be sweeter than trick-or-treating on the 34th Avenue Open Street. This transformative project epitomizes the benefits of repurposing the city's street space to emphasize pedestrian and non-motorized traffic, and the news that the work to make 34th Avenue a permanent Open Street is largely complete couldn't come at a better time," said Eric McClure, Executive Director of StreetsPAC. We're also absolutely elated that the Adams administration is giving the city's kids the opportunity to celebrate Halloween on dozens of car-free streets next Monday. Advocates have been urging the city to do this for years, and we hope that this all-treat and no-trick policy will continue to expand in coming years."
"Car-free streets are safe streets. Extending the hours of Open Streets on Halloween will protect young people trick-or-treating," said Elizabeth Adams, Senior Director of Advocacy and Organizing at Transportation Alternatives. "New Yorkers deserve permanent, 24/7 Open Streets year-round. 34th Avenue can and should be a model of what's possible when we build streets for people."
With additional bike lanes, enhanced safety measures, and more open space, all while serving as a central gathering place for our school children, 34th Ave is the quintessential Open Street design," said Julie Tighe, President of the New York League of Conservation Voters. Kudos to Mayor Adams and Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez for transforming this 1.3 mile stretch in Jackson heights—already a major destination with its rich history and diversity—into one of New York City's safest neighborhoods to explore. And speaking of safety, NYLCV is thrilled with the "Trick-or-Streets" program, which means our trick-or-treaters can worry more about dodging zombies and werewolves and less about cars and trucks."
"The 34th Avenue Open Street project is a win for all people living in this area. This is a good initiative to support safe and accessible streets for people with disabilities. We must ensure that the streets are clear of traffic hazards that could injure people with disabilities," said Sharon McLennon-Wier, Ph.D., MSEd., CRC, LMHC, executive director, Center for Independence of the Disabled, New York.