Barrier Missing or Not in Compliance
Open Restaurants can place dining areas at the curb or parking lane on the street in front of their business.
To protect customers and ensure visibility by motorists, restaurants must separate curb lane seating from the travel lane with barriers on all three sides of the seating area that are in the roadway. Barriers can be planters or objects of similar size and weight.
They must be:
- At least 18 inches in width and 30-36 inches in height (excluding plantings)
- Marked with yellow high intensity retro-reflective tape or reflectors
- Placed directly next to each other with no gaps
- No more than 8 feet from the curb
Open Restaurants must also implement safety enhancements during winter months.
Barriers must:
- Have a fully built interior wall and bottom to hold filler material
- Be completely filled with soil or sand
Site Set Up Incorrectly
You can report curb lane seating or barriers that:
Tents or Umbrellas
You can report tents, umbrellas, or other shelters that are:
- Greater than 400 square feet
- Not secured properly and safely
- Bolted to the street
- Extending past the barriers
- Blocking utility covers
- Blocking clear paths
- Used during inclement weather, such as high wind conditions
Blocked Street Zones
Open Restaurants with on-street seating can’t block:
- Bike lanes
- Bus stops
- Car share or bike share spaces
- Crosswalks or vehicle turning zones
- Fire hydrants
- No Standing or No Stopping Anytime zones
Blocked Utility Cover
Dining areas can’t block access to or ventilation of utility covers.
You can report that valve, manhole, and ventilated grating covers are blocked by an outdoor seating area.
Platform Defective
To comply with accessibility guidelines, prevent the curb from becoming a tripping hazard, and allow drainage to pass under seating, restaurants may install platforms.
You can report platforms that are:
- Not connected to the curb
- Blocking rainwater drainage to or along the curb
- Blocking access to ventilation or utility covers
