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New York City Council
Expanding access to roadway cafes
Read summaries and jump into the video at the segment start.
Council staff welcomes attendees to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure vote, reminds everyone not to approach the dais, and asks that electronic devices be silenced.
Chair Shaun Abreu opens the hearing and lists the four bills: Intro 655A (Restler) on expanding roadway cafes, Intro 894A (Brewer) on vertical winterization coverings, Intro 917A (J. Sanchez) on sanitation requirements, and Intro 918A (Thomas-Henry) on quarterly installment payments for revocable consent fees.
Abreu notes the committee will also hear and vote on two preconsidered resolutions setting forth Council findings on environmental reviews conducted for Intro 655A and Intro 894A under the State Environmental Quality Review Act.
Abreu thanks his Deputy Chief of Staff Jaleesa Quigley, committee counsels Theo Miller and Sierra Townsend, senior policy analysts Kevin Katowski and John Bazile, and Consumer Worker Protection Committee staff Sarah Swain and Natalie Meltzer for their work preparing the hearing.
Council Member Lincoln Restler explains that the outdoor dining program updated three years ago by the Adams administration and Council did not work. During COVID, 8,000 restaurants offered outdoor dining; today fewer than 800 participate, a 90% decline.
Restler identifies the number one reason restaurants left the program: the expense of building, deconstructing, and storing outdoor dining structures in winter. He argues year-round dining will bring thousands of restaurants back across all neighborhoods.
Restler notes the seasonal program's cleanliness requirements—removable furniture, weekly floor removal—remain in place, with only 11 311 complaints last year. He also announces hours are reduced from midnight to 11 p.m., addressing quality-of-life concerns raised by lower Manhattan colleagues.
Restler cites a Comptroller Lander study finding every restaurant that adds outdoor dining adds a job, and notes the private workforce shrank last year. He frames the legislation as great for restaurants, hospitality workers, and New Yorkers enjoying outdoor meals.
Restler thanks Speaker Menon for championing the legislation since before she was speaker, acknowledges ledge division staff Rachel Cordero and Sarah Swain, his chief of staff Molly, and advocacy groups including Open Plans, Transportation Alternatives, and the Hospitality Alliance.
Council Member Shanel Thomas-Henry explains that Intro 918A lets sidewalk and roadway cafe operators pay their annual revocable consent fee in quarterly installments, easing the financial burden on small businesses she toured across all five boroughs.
Committee clerk William Martin calls the roll on all coupled items. Council Member Marte votes aye on all but abstains on Intro 655A. Council Member Wong votes aye on Intros 917 and 918 but no on Intros 655 and 894. Other members vote aye.
Clerk Martin announces Intro 894A adopted 7-1, Intro 655A adopted 6-1 with one abstention, and all other items adopted 8-0 with no negatives or abstentions. Chair Abreu closes the vote.