As restaurants tear down their outdoor dining structures for the winter, the City Council took up legislation that could make this the last year businesses are forced to carry out the costly ritual.
At a joint hearing of the City Council's Transportation and Worker and Consumer Protection Committees on Monday, lawmakers considered bills introduced by Councilmember Lincoln Restler that would once again allow roadway dining year-round, ending the prohibition from December through March that took effect last year.
"In just five days, roadway dining structures across the city of New York will disappear. Instead of New Yorkers safely enjoying a bite to eat outside, we will have thousands of parked cars, SUVs, trucks lining our streets," Restler said, referring to the November 29 deadline for restaurants to pack in their outdoor setups. "Who knows how many restaurants will manage to come back in April after the costly disassembly and storage fees this season." He added, "The new iteration of this program is failing our city."
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