Between now and the start of primary voting in June, NY1 is taking a closer look at the key issues in the race for mayor.

This week’s focus: public space.

How should New York City’s streets be used? What belongs on them? From bike lanes to busways to e-bikes and outdoor dining, the battle over public space is polarizing for many New Yorkers.

Argumentative hearings and community board meetings have become the norm when street redesigns are proposed.

NY1 has covered a number of meetings over bike lanes, with one resident saying, “Maybe I just won’t pay my property taxes if my street is taken away from me. I think that’s a very fair compromise.”

Others push back on bikes entirely, calling for riders to “take a bus or walk.”

These issues became more complicated when the pandemic drove a sharp increase in the number of deliveries being made throughout the five boroughs by workers on e-bikes and scooters.

Candidates for mayor are aware of the divide, which sees organized advocacy groups, such as like Transportation Alternatives and Families for Safe Streets, pitted against residents and businesses most of the time.

A recent example: McGuinness Boulevard in Greenpoint. A local battle between “Make McGuinness Safe” and “Keep McGuinness Moving” resulted in a city compromise to add bike lanes after months of back-and-forth.

Transit riders are also part of the equation. In the Bronx, a plan to turn Fordham Road into a busway was scrapped following opposition from the Bronx Zoo, the New York Botanical Garden and nearby businesses.

NY1 Transit Reporter Samantha Liebman says that kind of resistance is common.

“There is a thought that if people can't drive to businesses, then business will be down,” Liebman said. “But the fact of the matter is, mom-and-pop stores in neighborhoods are not patronized by people driving to them. They're patronized by people who take transit or live in the neighborhood.”

Meanwhile, restaurants and bars tend to support outdoor dining programs, which involves reclaiming street space from cars.

Other changes to public space, like the Sanitation Department’s push to place trash in containers, are also stirring debate, with concerns about sidewalk space.

We’ll continue our issue-by-issue review of the election in the weeks ahead.