During weekends, jazz bands would perform on street corners, friends would gather in the middle, children would ride their bikes, and diners would sit at tables on the road. The early days of the coronavirus pandemic initially kept New Yorkers indoors, but eventually led them outdoors for fresh air, exercise, dining, and relaxation. This resulted in a natural transformation of the city's streets across all five boroughs. City officials allocated 83 miles of roadway for cyclists, runners, and pedestrians, permitted nearly 11,000 restaurants to expand onto sidewalks and streets, and allowed retailers to extend their storefronts. The community embraced these changes and Mayor Bill de Blasio has praised the programs as a positive development during a challenging time for the city. Formerly a skeptic, de Blasio now believes that certain pandemic-era experiments will become permanent fixtures in New York City. The New York Times consulted with people who have utilized Open Streets to gather their thoughts on what they hope will endure. Urban planner and architect Claire Weisz of WXY Studio was also consulted to provide insight on realistic and ambitious visions, drawing from successful examples elsewhere. The Times highlighted three streets from the Open Streets and Open Restaurants programs as potential models for city-wide implementation. Although the Open Restaurants program has been made permanent, the future of Open Streets remains uncertain, with the mayor expressing interest in its continuation in some form. Notable examples include Vanderbilt Avenue in Prospect Heights, 34th Avenue in Jackson Heights, Queens, and Avenue B on the Lower East Side. Vanderbilt Avenue could potentially become a destination by utilizing its existing median, incorporating curves to slow down traffic, and adding a performance stage. Monty had on a denim jacket and a bright pink mohawk. Rosen, who is 40, felt like she was transported to a different continent for a moment. Vanderbilt Avenue, which was turned into a central hub in Prospect Heights until Thanksgiving, had restaurants expanding onto the street. Volunteers would set up blue barricades on the avenue on Saturday mornings, blocking cars except for emergency vehicles. Many people visiting Vanderbilt expressed the need for more benches and tables, as well as improvements to the existing bike lane to separate faster cyclists from slower ones. Local residents want to have a say in the future of Vanderbilt rather than leaving decisions to City Hall. Businesses on the street, like a barber shop, hope to see Vanderbilt transformed into a space for events like musical and theatrical performances. The future of Vanderbilt could involve extending the median into a small park with public bathrooms, a feature that is lacking in many areas of the city. Some countries charge a small fee to use public restrooms, with the proceeds going towards keeping the facilities clean and stocked with supplies. Medians could serve as loading and unloading zones for deliveries and new bike lanes could be added next to the median, including one for fast bicyclists, commuters, and delivery workers, and another for leisurely riders, a model inspired by Copenhagen, Denmark. In Queens, 34th Avenue could potentially be transformed into a pedestrian promenade by expanding the existing median to create space for a workout area and gardens, while also moving the bike lane away from traffic. New Yorkers, like Laurie Gold, appreciate the Open Streets portion of 34th Avenue, which has become a popular destination for families during the pandemic. Neighbors gather to socialize while parents stroll with their children, who are busy playing basketball or riding bikes. Eight-year-old Ashley Cedeno enjoys games like tag and hide-and-seek. According to Ashley, the street is a place for fun and togetherness. Travers Park, a 2-acre playground and green space in the western half, is surrounded by apartment buildings and schools. While residents want to maintain the area's residential feel, some express a desire for more commercial activities, such as fairs, food trucks, and sidewalk vendors. Occasionally, farmers and winemakers set up tents to sell goods on weekends. Edwin Cordero, who has lost weight from walking his dog, Lucy, believes there should be more choices for entertainment. Weisz believes that a street like 34th Avenue has many possibilities for improvement. The road is 55 feet wide from curb to curb, with potential to extend the median to the sidewalk on one side and create a one-way road on the other side, allowing for a larger area for pedestrians and greenery. Moving the bike lane next to the sidewalk would prevent accidents with car doors. Adding public facilities like the Tokyo Toilet could be beneficial. Converting Avenue B into a one-way street near Tompkins Square Park could make it more pedestrian-friendly. Residents believe more greenery and public amenities should be added to the area. The park is surrounded by fences, with paved entryways and benches along the paths. The trees and shrubs within the park are also fenced off. Weisz mentioned that the fences were originally meant to keep farm animals out but later became a security measure. She suggested removing the fences to create a more open and inviting space with paths weaving through the trees. She proposed looking at Barcelona as a model for creating car-free areas and making Avenue B one-way to allow for more greenery and public amenities.Reducing traffic flow would improve safety by forcing drivers to slow down. Avenue B could be improved with the addition of bike lanes and separate spaces for deliveries, according to Weisz. He described it as an ideal shared street. © 2020 The New York Times Company.