You hear it all the time when you have out-of-town visitors: "New Yorkers do a lot of walking!"
We sure do! And although most of us are entirely accustomed to using our legs as an acceptable form of transportation, for New Yorkers, the site of an open bench is always akin to an oasis in the Sahara Dessert.
Well, if you feel like your neighborhood could use more benches, you can actually request it from the City's Department of Transportation. The CityBench program, an initiative to increase the amount of public seating on NYC's streets, installs attractive and durable benches all around the city-- particularly at bus stops, retail corridors and in areas with high concentrations of senior citizens. DOT covers the costs of installing and maintaining the bench.
The CityBench program has installed 1,500 benches throughout the five boroughs and will install an additional 600 benches by 2019. To find a bench near you or request a bench in neighborhoods with a lack of seating, visit our Web Map here.
Anyone can request a bench, and anyone can use one. If you know of an ideal location in your neighborhood that meets the requirements below, please download and complete this form and send it by mail.
Priority for bench installations will be given to:
- Bus stops without shelters
- Sidewalks near transit facilities (e.g. subway stations)
- Senior centers
- Hospitals and community health centers
- Commercial zones and shopping districts
- Municipal facilities (e.g., public libraries, schools)
The benches are for use by the general public and are not restricted to tenants of any particular building or patrons of any particular business. Benches cannot be used to displace street vendors. See full requirements list here.
If you know of a damaged bench that needs to be removed or relocated, email citybench@dot.nyc.gov or call 311, and DOT will replace them. For more information on the CityBench Program, visit City's website page here.
