Cuomo: Ban cars on some city streets

Gov. Cuomo called Sunday for a ban on cars on some New York City streets to try to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Cuomo was incensed by reports of people crowding the city’s parks Saturday and called for some streets to close to give people more space for social distance.

“You have much less traffic in New York City because nonessential workers aren’t going to work,” he said.

“Get creative: Open streets to reduce the density. You want to go for a walk? God bless you. You want to go for a run? God bless you. But let’s open streets, let’s open spaces. That’s where people should be.”

The governor said he has tasked Mayor de Blasio and Council Speaker Corey Johnson with producing a density reduction plan by Monday morning. The plan should identify which streets across the five boroughs should be closed to traffic, Cuomo said.

Streets make up 80% of public space in New York City, and taking some of that area away from cars would give pedestrians and cyclists more room to keep a safe distance from one another.

De Blasio said Sunday he agreed with Cuomo’s plan, but said street closures must come with enforcement to prevent crowds from forming. “It cannot be we’re just going to close off some streets and let it be,” the mayor said. “I guarantee if we let that happen, we’re going to see some people who start to congregate.”

Johnson, who has made street safety a priority, endorsed Cuomo’s plan. He said the Summer Streets program that closes some major thoroughfares to cars across the city would be a model.

Joe Cutrufo, a Transportation Alternatives spokesman, said closures for the New York City Marathon and parades show streets can be closed to cars without interrupting essential services.