Council Member Restler Questions DOT on Program Success and Low Approval Rates
Council Member Lincoln Restler challenges DOT's characterization of the program as a success, pointing to the low approval rates and the loss of thousands of outdoor dining setups.
Thank you so much to Chairs Menon and Brooks Powers for convening this important hearing.
Um just how would DOT qualify the permanent outdoor dining program to date?
An abject failure, a moderate failure, a severe work in progress?
Like what's the none of the above, Councilmember.
We feel the program is going very well, and we look forward to having more improvements in the future.
I mean, and again, if I can just mention we have um about almost four thousand applications, it's a very good number.
Four thousand applications.
At the time that the open dining program season began in an un what is an unfortunate seasonal program, and I really did appreciate Chair Menon's remarks earlier about her support for a year-round program.
I certainly agree with her on that.
Uh five hundred and forty-seven twenty-one roadway dining restaurants had been approved, five hundred and forty-seven had received conditional approval.
So that's what, seven percent of the height of the peak of the outdoor program.
Is that bureaucratic challenges from DOT?
If I recall correctly, in the negotiations over this bill, one of the mayor's office's top priorities and the commissioner's top priorities was for DOT to own this program.
This was really important to you all that you wanted to be the lead on outdoor dining.
Am I right?
So why?
Is it bureaucratic challenges and limitations that have only seven percent of restaurants receiving conditional approval at the beginning of the outdoor dining season?
So let me clarify that as we speak, 80% of the restaurants that have applied are able and are setting up as months into the vast majority of the restaurants and what we've discussed here today is that we have a number of re requirements set between the city charter and the local law that that do add to the length of the process.
Let's just drill down on the numbers.
So 4,000 is the number you said applied, 80% of that 4,000 have received conditional approval.