Skip to content
Free violation report for any NYC building · Check an address

Permits & development · 10/13/2026

DOT narrows Avenue B to one northbound lane along Tompkins Square Park

DOT finished its Avenue B Open Street redesign in Alphabet City, cutting three blocks to one northbound lane and adding two-way bike traffic. Painted curb extensions, reinforced with planters, bike parking and granite blocks, now mark every intersection from East 4th to East 14th Streets. Access for emergency vehicles, sanitation and deliveries is kept.

Reported by amNYRead the original ↗

Photo: amNY

What happened

The city Department of Transportation (DOT) held a ribbon-cutting on Tuesday, Oct. 13, to mark the completion of upgrades to the Avenue B Open Street in Alphabet City, Manhattan, amNY reported. DOT started the redesign in late June.

Avenue B along the eastern side of Tompkins Square Park, from East 7th to East 10th Streets, went from two traffic lanes to one. Only northbound vehicle traffic is now allowed on those three blocks. Southbound drivers are diverted onto East 10th Street. That stretch now has two-way bike traffic. It already operates as an open street every day from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. DOT says emergency vehicles, sanitation trucks and deliveries still have access.

DOT also painted curb extensions at every intersection from East 4th to East 14th Streets to shorten pedestrian crossings. It reinforced them with planters, bike parking and granite blocks. To cut truck traffic on Avenue B, DOT added loading zones at the start and end of every side street. DOT Commissioner Mike Flynn said the goal is to stop drivers from using Avenue B as a shortcut while keeping local access for residents and deliveries.

Cecil Scheib, a volunteer with the Loisaida Open Streets Community Coalition, said cars outnumbered bike riders and other users two to one on the stretch in 2019. He said there are now many more bikes than cars, with more than 100 bike users in any given hour. Asked about fully closing the street to cars, Flynn did not rule it out for the future.

Key facts

Agency
NYC Department of Transportation (DOT)
Location
Avenue B, Alphabet City, Manhattan, along the east side of Tompkins Square Park
One-lane stretch
East 7th to East 10th Streets, northbound vehicles only
Southbound detour
Drivers diverted onto East 10th Street
Open street hours
Every day, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., on the three-block span
Intersection work
Curb extensions at every intersection from East 4th to East 14th Streets
Loading zones
At the start and end of every side street
Date
Work began late June; completion marked Oct. 13

What it means

Landlords

Owners with buildings on or near Avenue B should expect only northbound vehicle access between East 7th and East 10th Streets. Deliveries, contractors and repair crews will need to plan routes around that and the new side-street loading zones.

Tenants and voucher holders

Residents on these blocks keep vehicle access, but southbound drivers must turn onto East 10th Street. Anyone scheduling a move or a large delivery should check the one-way direction and the open street hours first.

Caseworkers

When arranging moves or home visits for clients on Avenue B between East 7th and East 10th Streets, plan for northbound-only traffic and daytime open street hours.

The highlights

  1. The one-lane stretch runs from East 7th to East 10th Streets.
  2. Southbound drivers are now diverted onto East 10th Street.
  3. Loading zones sit at the start and end of every side street to cut truck traffic.

Why it matters Landlords

Owners on Avenue B should plan moves, repairs and deliveries around one-way traffic and the new side-street loading zones.

What to do: Tell tenants, movers and contractors about the new traffic pattern and loading zones.

Not known yet

  • Whether moving trucks and contractor vans can stop directly on the one-lane blocks during open street hours
  • Time limits or rules for the new side-street loading zones
  • How many curbside parking spaces, if any, were removed
  • Project cost and any timeline for fully closing the street to cars

Background

NYC's Open Streets program lets DOT limit vehicle traffic on certain streets during set hours so people can walk, bike and use the roadway. Local community groups often help run these streets. Access for emergency vehicles and local deliveries is generally kept, but through traffic is discouraged.

Summary written by Bulwark from amNY’s reporting. The original story is at amny.com. This is general information, not legal advice.

Read the full story at amNYMore NYC housing news

Related

Brooklyn, NY

Filing or fixing something on a building?

DOB permits, Certificates of Occupancy, FDNY, DEP and DOT filings, prepared and followed until approved.

Start a filingFree violation report(888) 756-RUSH (7874)
Photo: Andre Carrotflower, CC BY-SA 4.0
WhatsApp us