LONG BEACH — Additional outdoor dining on Atlantic Avenue will begin before the end of the week with the Public Works Department implementing the Open Streets Pilot Project helping businesses expand during the impact of COVID-19.
Restaurants have resumed outdoor dining following the U.S. Supreme Court ruling on the state’s restrictions. The project began earlier by calming traffic by narrowing one lane in each direction in Atlantic Avenue between Claiborne Drive and Armando Drive.
Recovering from the damage COVID-19 has bestowed on the city, Long Beach will use the sidewalk of Atlantic Avenue and parking lots to help businesses expand.
Modifications will be implemented by public officials and engineers with bi-weekly evaluations to expect the street modification to continue to the end of March. Guidelines will be enforced by businesses and public officials to help continue the support of the COVID-19 recovery.
With the previous state’s ban on outdoor dining that began in Dec. 2020 and was removed at the end of Jan. 2021, it put a hold on the project that was announced to start in November 2020.