Prospect Heights Open Streets The popular program will return to Vanderbilt Avenue on Saturdays, beginning May 2 running through the end of September
BROOKLYN — Prospect Heights Open Streets is excited to announce the start of the 7th year of the Vanderbilt Open Streets! The 2026 program kicks off Saturday May 2 and will run weekly on Saturdays through the end of September, operating from 12pm to 10pm.
The Open Street will feature extensive activities and performances throughout the year, all free for the community to enjoy. Programming for this Saturday, May 2, includes:
- Rikud Studio’s Performance and Dance Class
- 3 - 5pm, Vanderbilt Avenue between Bergen and Saint Marks
- Gotham Easy Brass Band
- 4 - 6pm, Vanderbilt Avenue between Saint Marks and Prospect
Prospect Heights Open Streets, Inc. (PHOS) is a newly formed 501(c)3 nonprofit organization created by a core group of experienced Open Streets organizers. The new organization offers a streamlined structure and newfound versatility which organizers expect will greatly reduce the administrative lift of running the program. PHOS will spearhead new business and community partnerships that bring exciting new activations to the Open Street this year.
Open Streets are popular and greatly beneficial
The Vanderbilt Avenue Open Street is widely popular, and a petition of support for the program that began in 2023 continues to accumulate signatures with close to 6,000 signatories currently.
Over the years, countless studies have found the program yields a variety of benefits:
- A 2026 report from the State Comptroller found non-school Open Streets lead to significant local job growth.
- Bike counts on Vanderbilt Avenue over five years show the Vanderbilt Open Street leads to increased cycling on the corridor.
- A 2024 study from the Department of City Planning showed storefront vacancies are significantly decreased on Open Street corridors.
- A 2022 study done by the Department of Transportation revealed Open Streets corridors enjoy a 20% increase in sales compared to pre-pandemic taxable sales.