\u201cSchool Streets are a simple, low-cost solution to expand outdoor space, and we should make it as easy as possible for principals, parents and school staff to take advantage of it if they want,\u201d the comptroller said in a statement.<\/p>\n
Created in the first year of the pandemic, the program allows schools to close their adjacent streets to car traffic to provide students space for outdoor recreation. Ninety-three percent of city schools abut a street that would qualify for the program, the comptroller\u2019s office said.<\/p>\n
But launching a School Street is easier said that done, Levine\u2019s report said. The lengthy and complicated application process puts the burden of coordination on school principals, and required plans for siting, staffing and community outreach as well as letter of support. The Department of Transportation can take up to 90 says to review an application, further delaying implementation.<\/p>\n
For a school principals already juggling instruction, daily operations and staff, the process is a major roadblock, Levine\u2019s team said. And school administrators and staff consulted for the report reporting first hearing about the program through word-of-mouth \u2014 a sign that DOT and New York City Public Schools aren\u2019t doing enough outreach, the report said.<\/p>\n
To rectify that, Levine\u2019s team called on DOT and NYC Public Schools to relieve school principals of the program\u2019s current administrative burdens and Schools to designate \u201cSchool Street liaisons\u201d to assist in communications between schools and city government.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/school-streets-e1787267695906.png\")
School Streets at the Hector Figueroa School in Woodside, Queens. Photo: Open Plans<\/p>\n
The city must also update its School Streets implementation manual<\/a>, which is currently just three pages long and full of outdated information, the report said.<\/p>\n Mona Bruno, a spokeswoman for DOT, said the agency is reviewing Levine\u2019s findings and recommendations.<\/p>\n \u201cNew York City has a proud history of opening its streets so children can safely learn and to play,\u201d Bruno said in a statement.<\/p>\n School Streets could play a big role in helping students fulfill their daily required physical activity. Fourteen percent of city public school students do not have required time for physical activity during the school day, according to Board of Education data. <\/p>\n Levine\u2019s team identified priority locations for School Streets across all five boroughs based on eligibility and need:<\/p>\n We mapped out priority locations: Schools with no outdoor PE space, no current School Street, and an adjacent eligible street.<\/p>\n No fewer than 324 schools fit this criteria: pic.twitter.com\/BfG6mK3Zxi<\/a><\/p>\n