Long Beach city officials will be blocking some traffic lanes on a stretch of Atlantic Avenue as part of an “Open Streets” program to provide outdoor retail and dining space for businesses, the city announced Friday, Feb. 12.
Since the Open Streets program began in the city last June, more than 100 “parklet” locations have been established to provide additional outdoor space for businesses or sidewalk dining space for restaurants.
On Atlantic Avenue, the program is being implemented between Claiborne and Armando drives, where traffic is being reduced to one lane in each direction. Businesses will be using sidewalks on the east side of Atlantic for additional space, while angled parking will be available on the west side.
The reconfiguration is expected to be completed by the middle of next week.
“It’s critical that we continue to do all we can to support local businesses to that when we beat COVID-19, the Long Beach economy will come back better than ever,” Mayor Robert Garcia said. “This expansion of our Open Streets program allows us to work collaboratively with our community to provide a safe way to keep businesses thriving.”
