New York City street dining shuts down in storm; sidewalk seating allowed

Storm affects outdoor dining

NYC officials have asked restaurants to shut down their outdoor dining areas that are located in the street. Sidewalk dining can continue.

NEW YORK - With a powerful nor'easter expected to dump up to a foot and a half of snow on the tristate area, the New York City Department of Sanitation issued a snow alert for Wednesday.

And in a first this year because of circumstances created by the pandemic, the snow alert forced restaurants to shut down outdoor dining areas that are in the actual roadway. Sidewalk seating will be allowed to remain, Mayor Bill de Blasio said.

The snow alert took effect at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 16, and is expected to be over on Thursday evening, which would allow restaurants to reopen dining areas on the roads, the Sanitation Department said, "but this may change to the morning of Friday, Dec. 18 based on actual accumulations and roadway conditions."

City officials are not asking restaurant owners to remove any barriers or structures that they set up in the street for outdoor dining but they must "remove or secure any tables and chairs in the roadway," remove electrical heaters from the road, and either remove overhead coverings or clear the snow from the coverings until the snow alert ends.

Restaurant storm preps

New York City officials asked restaurant owners to secure the outdoor dining structures ahead of the snowstorm.

Also, alternate side parking rules are suspended for Wednesday and Thursday, officials said.

"While the Department is expecting a significant snowfall, its workers and equipment are prepared. Salt spreaders are already filled and ready to go," the DOS said on Tuesday. "Additionally, the Department's collection trucks will be pulled from collection duty and turned into snowplows, ready to plow snow once two inches of snow has fallen."

Sanitation storm preps

Acting Commissioner Edward Grayson summarized the steps the Sanitation Department is taking to prepare for a major snowstorm.

Elsewhere in the state, the state Department of Transportation and the Thruway Authority prepared vehicles to respond to the snow. The DOT has 1,613 large snowplows, 311 large loaders, 179 medium-duty plows, 52 tow plows, and much more. The Thruway Authority can deploy 244 large snowplows, 94 medium snowplows, 11 tow plows, and 61 loaders across the state, according to the governor's office.

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