PRESS RELEASE

Long Beach, CA - As the first part of the City’s Open Streets Initiative, temporary "parklets" have been established in the Bixby Knolls, Belmont Shore and Downtown areas to support businesses and restaurants in their reopening efforts. The parklets — extensions of sidewalks into parking spaces and streets — will provide safe areas for customers to enjoy while waiting to pick up food or merchandise at local businesses and may also be used as common areas for outdoor dining under an amended Health Order expected to be released later today.

 “Our Open Streets Initiative is providing safe and open space for restaurants to reopen and for families to enjoy. These temporary parklets make it possible to give our local small businesses more support while giving residents more space to physically distance.”

Users of parklets must follow all aspects of the current Health Order, including physical distancing and wearing facial coverings when in close contact with others.

The parklets are part of a pilot program that is expected to add new locations, and eventually grow into the broader Open Streets Initiative that was recently requested by the City Council. The initiative will temporarily re-purpose some of the City’s public spaces, such as sidewalks, street parking and large parking lots, into safe spaces for physically distanced dining and other activities associated with the business district.

The temporary parklets are located in the areas of Atlantic Avenue and Burlinghall Drive (Bixby Knolls), Second Street between Glendora Avenue and Pomona Avenue (Belmont Shore) and Pine Avenue between Fourth Street and Fifth Street (Downtown). The City worked with business associations in these neighborhoods, including the Bixby Knolls Improvement Association, Belmont Shore Business Association and Downtown Long Beach Alliance, to identify locations that would help drive the greatest economic impact for the neighborhoods. The City plans to partner with other business associations to establish additional parklets throughout the city.

In a related effort, select residential streets throughout the city will be closed to vehicle traffic and turned into safe zones for residents to enjoy outdoor activities such as bicycling, skating or jump rope, with proper physical distancing. No lawn chairs or stationary set ups will be permitted in the open areas. More information will be provided at a later date once details are determined.

For the latest information on COVID-19, with details on all that the City of Long Beach is doing to keep its residents safe, visit: longbeach.gov/COVID19 and follow @LongBeachCity on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.