Mayor Eric Adams and the City Council speaker reached an agreement Thursday that paves the way for a permanent outdoor dining program.
The pair have agreed to a bill that would permit sidewalk dining all year round, with roadway dining permitted for eight months of the year. The bill would prohibit roadway dining in the colder months from December through March.
The legislation would require restaurants to obtain a license, with the fees based on their location and square footage. They would be permitted to operate from 10 a.m. to midnight.
The bill is an updated version of a piece of legislation that was introduced in February 2022 that has languished in committee. The bill has sat in committee while lawmakers have tried to balance the calls from residents who oppose it—complaining about noise, trash and traffic congestion—to the restaurant industry that has been lobbying hard for it.
