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Q&A

Council Member Epstein questions DOT on public seating oversight

New York City Council · Jul 21, 2026 · starts 0:25:27 · 1 min 11 sec

Epstein asks about DOT's role in ensuring public seating remains available and visible. Weidenhoff says DOT reviews and approves proposals balancing public and concession seating, regularly checks that approved setups are in place, and ensures concession seating does not encroach into open public seating areas.

Harvey D. Epstein

And just on the public seating, we've spent a lot of time talking about making sure that it's there.

Harvey D. Epstein

People know it's public seating.

Harvey D. Epstein

It's available.

Harvey D. Epstein

What role would DOT play in ensuring that that is happening and making sure that there's notices and information up for the public that they are aware of it?

Emily Weidenhoff

Yeah, so that public seating is incredibly important to us.

Emily Weidenhoff

That's all of these spaces are public space.

Emily Weidenhoff

So we will be not only kind of reviewing and approving the proposals that look at the balance of the public seating as well as the concession seating.

Emily Weidenhoff

And that will be something that we're kind of evaluating as these spaces are evolving.

Emily Weidenhoff

The life, the use of these spaces changes a lot over the years.

Emily Weidenhoff

So we don't see it as being static.

Emily Weidenhoff

It'll be something we care deeply about and we'll be evaluating.

Emily Weidenhoff

But also.

Emily Weidenhoff

So we will be regularly checking in to make sure that the setups that are kind of reviewed and approved per the subconcessions are actually in place.

Emily Weidenhoff

They're not kind of encroaching and creeping into the other spaces that are for open, accessible public seating.