Permissible Business Activities
- The sidewalk measures at least 12 feet wide from the building to the curb.
- The sign does not extend beyond three feet from the building, and is not immediately next to the curb or in the center of a sidewalk.
- The sign is under five feet tall.
How wide is a NYC sidewalk?
Width of Sidewalks in Manhattan Borough In streets 40 feet wide 10 ft. In streets 50 feet wide 13 ft. In streets 60 feet wide 15 ft. In streets 70 feet wide 18 ft. In streets 80 feet wide 19 ft. In streets above 80 feet, not exceeding 100 feet. 20 ft. All streets more than 100 feet 22 ft. Lenox and 7th Avenues, north of W. 110thSt 35 ft.
What is the minimum width of a sidewalk?
Sidewalks are to be at least 5 ft. wide. However, if necessary due to geometric constraints, the width of the sidewalk may be reduced to 4 ft. minimum width, as required in PROWAG, by completing the Design Exception process. A 2 ft. grass strip or planting area should separate the sidewalk from the curb.
What are the dimensions of a typical sidewalk?
Walkway Widths:
- 18" minimum
- 24" functional
- 30" one person
- 36" standard
- 48" 2 people
How wide should a home's walkway be?
Front Path Recap: Design your path to complement your home's architecture. Walkways should be between 4 and 6 feet wide. A solid path is easiest for walking. ... Common materials for paths include gravel, decomposed granite, concrete slabs, concrete pavers, naturally set fieldstone, mortar-set fieldstone, and brick.
How wide are NYC streets?
The avenues are 100 feet wide, the standard cross streets are 60 feet wide and the major cross streets are 100 feet. The 15 major cross streets are at irregular intervals (14, 23, 34, 42, 57, 72,79) and then change to 10 street intervals (86, 96, 106, 116, 125, 135, 145, 155).
What is the minimum width of sidewalk?
1 Minimum 1.5m width of sidewalk without any obstacle.
How many miles is a sidewalk in New York?
12,000 milesNew York City has over 12,000 miles of sidewalks.
Why are NYC streets so narrow?
Really Narrow Streets are the main pedestrian access to shops and residences. Alleys are used to allow cars and trucks to access rear entrances to loading docks and parking lots.
What is the normal width of a city sidewalk?
Sidewalks should be wide enough to allow two adults to walk comfortably next to each other. A good standard width is 48 inches. Learn more about walkway widths. A typical city or builder installed sidewalk is straight and runs along the perimeter of your property.
What is the sidewalk rule?
The sidewalk rule is the idea that when your significant other walks next to you on the sidewalk they walk on the nearest to the street. So if you're walking on the side by the cars, he'll gently scoot you over to the “correct” side.
Who owns the sidewalk in NYC?
property ownersUnder existing New York City (NYC) law, property owners are responsible for maintaining sidewalks in good repair and keeping them free of snow, ice, dirt, and other materials (outlined in Sections 19-152 and 16-123 of the NYC Administrative Code).
How many avenues in NYC is a mile?
seven avenuesJohn Tauranac, in the “Manhattan Block by Block” street atlas, gives the average distance between avenues as 750 feet, or about seven avenues to a mile.
How many miles is New York City cover?
321 square miles"New York City's land area covers 321 square miles, over 205,000 acres.
What is the shortest street in New York City?
Edgar Street1. Edgar Street. Coming in at just 63 feet long, Edgar Street at Trinity Place is the shortest street in the city, according to data from PropertyShark (though Michelle and James Nevius, authors of Inside the Apple: A Streetwise History of New York City, claim that Edgar Street is a few feet longer than Mill Lane).
Why are NYC streets always under construction?
Because the infrastructure in most of the city is very aged and there are all sorts of things down there (water pipes, gas pipes, power lines, phone lines) so they are always digging up the streets to make repairs. Then the next winter the macadam patches disintegrate in the multiple freezes and thaws.
How often are NYC streets repaved?
Major roadways or highways should be resurfaced every 8 to 10 years, he said, and side streets every 15 to 20 years. While repaving is a good cosmetic fix, road reconstruction is a more significant step that involves rebuilding from the ground up. Only a tiny portion of streets each year are reconstructed.
How wide is a sidewalk?
You may use A-frames and folding "sandwich board" signs on the sidewalk next to your business if: The sidewalk measures at least 12 feet wide from the building to the curb.
What is sidewalk usage?
Sidewalk Usage Guide. Sidewalks are an essential public space throughout our city. If your business is on the ground floor, it is important to know your responsibilities related to the sidewalk in front of your storefront. This guide outlines your most important responsibilities as a business owner when it comes to sidewalk cleaning and maintenance.
What is the number to call if your business is on a zero sidewalk?
Call 311 to ask if your business is located on a Zero Sidewalk Display street. If your business is located in a City-designated historic district, or near a City-designated landmark, you might require approval from the NYC Landmark Preservation Commission for certain uses of the sidewalk.
Where do you put a stoop line?
Retail businesses may operate a stoop line stand on the sidewalk outside of their storefront to sell fruits, vegetables, soft drinks, flowers, confectionary, or ice cream. Sidewalk café. Some restaurants may extend their serving area to include a portion of the public sidewalk.
What is zero sidewalk display?
Certain streets are designated "Zero Sidewalk Display," which prohibits any outdoor display of merchandise or advertising such as A-frame signs.
What are the items that are allowed on the sidewalk?
Approved items include benches, large planters, bicycle racks, enclosures for trash receptacles, cellar doors, and ramps. A full list can be found on DOT's website.
Is a sidewalk in front of a business considered a public sidewalk?
That means that a portion of the sidewalk in front of your business might be within the property that you own or rent. The activities allowed on the sidewalk in front of your business differ depending on whether the sidewalk is within your property lines, or it is outside of those lines and considered a public sidewalk.
How I Started
Generally, what I’m building has to not exist, or exist but not be accessible to people. I'm always interested to see more data around the pedestrian sphere, thinking about importance of equality of streets and public environments.
How I Built This
Sidewalk Widths NYC was built starting from the Sidewalk planimetrics Open Data dataset by calculating the center of each sidewalk segment and, ultimately, each segment’s width. It uses Mapbox to display each sidewalk segment, color coded by the relative difficulty of social distancing based on its width.
How wide should a sidewalk be?
Sidewalks in low-rise residential areas should be at least 5 feet wide. Wherever possible, sidewalk cross-slope should not be greater than 2%.
What is sidewalk in a city?
A sidewalk is the portion of a street, intended for the use of pedestrians, between the roadway and adjacent property lines. A full sidewalk accommodates both pedestrian traffic and a range of street furnishings and fixtures.
Do sidewalks have to be ADA compliant?
Sidewalks must meet load-bearing, friction, and other requirements per relevant standard specifications and regulations. ADA-compliant Pedestrian Ramps must be provided at all pedestrian crossings; separate ramps should be aligned with each crosswalk and be centered with the sidewalk.
Should sidewalks be wide?
Sidewalks should be as wide as possible appropriate to foot traffic and available street width. Sidewalks should always be provided on both sides of the street. See Sidewalks in the Materials chapter for information on options for sidewalk materials.
Can a park's internal path be used as a sidewalk?
A park’s internal path located near a roadway does not substitute for a sidewalk. If the sidewalk is more than 25 feet wide, there should be a clear path adjacent to the building line and an 8-foot clear path adjacent to the curbside furnishing zone. See Furniture chapter.
What is sidewalk in a city?
A sidewalk is the portion of a street, intended for the use of pedestrians, between the roadway and adjacent property lines. A full sidewalk accommodates both pedestrian traffic and a range of street furnishings and fixtures.
What is a ribbon sidewalk?
A sidewalk that is separated from the roadway by a continuous, unpaved planting strip. Most existing ribbon sidewalks in the city have a lawn planting strip, more sustainable landscaping options should be utilized whenever possible. Alternatively, planting strips can be designed as pilot Stormwater Management Practices to help collect stormwater runoff.
What is a pedestrian refuge island?
A raised area located at crosswalks that serves as pedestrian refuge separating traffic lanes or directions, particularly on wide roadways. Also known as a “median refuge island.” Used at pedestrian crossings when a full raised median is not feasible. A pedestrian safety island confers most of the same benefits as a full Raised Median at pedestrian crossings. Full raised medians should be used rather than pedestrian safety islands wherever possible.
What is the area closest to the curb called?
The area of the sidewalk closest to the curb, where light poles, tree pits and other vegetation, signs, fire hydrants, and street furniture are typically located, is referred to as the “furnishing zone.”.
How high is a median?
The raised median can be either curb height (6–7 inches) or, where appropriate, 12 – 24 inches high. The width as well as design of raised medians can vary widely.
What is a mid block narrowing?
A mid-block narrowing (also referred to as a “choker”) physically or visually constricts the roadway, thereby slowing vehicular traffic or alerting drivers to the presence of a mid-block crosswalk . The curb extensions themselves can be of any variety, for example with plantings or other functional elements. A mid-block narrowing is equivalent to a Gateway located mid-block.
What is street width?
Essentially a street is indicated on the City Map and is defined by the “Way” or “Public Way.”. Street Width includes public sidewalks.
How far is a wide street from Manhattan Core?
The FAR within 100 feet of a Wide Street in the Manhattan Core is 2.43. The FAR on a Wide street outside the Manhattan Core would be 3.00 within 100 feet of the wide street.
What is narrow street?
A Narrow Street is a street less than 75 feet wide. NYC streets all have a term called “legal width”. This is important to identify for zoning purposes as regulations change based on street width. For the New York City Zoning Resolution definition of street you can look up Article 1 Chapter 2 (AKA chapter 12) of the Zoning Resolution.
What is the sky exposure plan on a narrow street?
The basic sky exposure plan on a Narrow Street would be 2.7 to 1. The basic sky exposure plan on a Wide street would be 5.6 to 1.
Maintenance
Inspections
Repair
Dismissal Inspections
- Once the sidewalk repairs are done, contact NYC311 to request a Sidewalk Violation Dismissal Inspection. Have all of the following information ready: 1. Permit number 2. Property address 3. Block and lot number 4. Violation number 5. Email address and phone number of the property owner NYC DOT will send an inspector to verify that the work has been satisfactorily completed…
Contesting A Sidewalk Violation
- Request a Re-Inspection
If the sidewalk defect on the Notice of Sidewalk Violation does not match the sidewalk condition, a property owner may request a re-inspection within 75 days of receiving the notice. Property owners should review the Preliminary Inspection Report (PIR) to check the width and other dime…
Other Sidewalk Questions
- For other questions about sidewalks in New York City, or to share comments on the services of NYC DOT's sidewalk inspectors or private contractors, please contact NYC DOT online, NYC311, or mail a letter to: Sidewalk Program NYC Department of Transportation 55 Water Street, 12th Floor New York, NY 10041
How Do I Know What Section of The Sidewalk Is My Responsibility?
- Any structure or activity extending beyond private property lines requires revocable consent from the City,which gives you permission to occupy or use the space on, under, or over a public street o...
- Property owners are responsible for fixing any defects on the sidewalk within and around their property lines. For more information on sidewalk maintenance and repairs, visit nyc.gov/side…
- Any structure or activity extending beyond private property lines requires revocable consent from the City,which gives you permission to occupy or use the space on, under, or over a public street o...
- Property owners are responsible for fixing any defects on the sidewalk within and around their property lines. For more information on sidewalk maintenance and repairs, visit nyc.gov/sidewalks.
Business Responsibilities
- Keep your storefront area clear to avoid blocking pedestrian traffic. Be careful that items like waste bags or receptacles, boxes, A-frame signs (also called "sandwich boards") or ice machines do n...
- Other structures, such as coin operated rides, must follow specific size requirements to make sure the sidewalk is clear for pedestrian traffic.
- Keep your storefront area clear to avoid blocking pedestrian traffic. Be careful that items like waste bags or receptacles, boxes, A-frame signs (also called "sandwich boards") or ice machines do n...
- Other structures, such as coin operated rides, must follow specific size requirements to make sure the sidewalk is clear for pedestrian traffic.
- ATMs may not be placed on public sidewalks, regardless of size.
Permissible Business Activities
- The sidewalk measures at least 12 feet wide from the building to the curb.
- The sign does not extend beyond three feet from the building, and is not immediately next to the curb or in the center of a sidewalk.
- The sign is under five feet tall.
Licensing and Regulations
- No license is required, but outdoor displays are prohibited on streets designated "Zero Sidewalk Display" streets. Contact 311 to determine whether your business is located in one of these zones. I...
- You may only display items in an outdoor display that are also for sale inside the store.
- All sales must occur indoors. While you may display goods outside, customers must pay for t…
- No license is required, but outdoor displays are prohibited on streets designated "Zero Sidewalk Display" streets. Contact 311 to determine whether your business is located in one of these zones. I...
- You may only display items in an outdoor display that are also for sale inside the store.
- All sales must occur indoors. While you may display goods outside, customers must pay for the items inside.
- Temporary vending restrictions may apply. The City may temporarily prohibit vending on sidewalks due to health concerns or unusually high pedestrian or vehicle congestion. Call 311 for the most up-...