Adams: New Research Shows Sidewalk Sheds Harm Business

By Idy Perl

Mayor Adam has started yet another initiative to clear city sidewalks. 

His “Get Sheds Down” is targeted at exactly what the name suggests; the sidewalk sheds and scaffolding that take up space on the already busy city sidewalks. The initiative isn’t targeted at the construction projects that are currently underway, but rather at the property owners who leave the scaffolding or sheds up even after construction is complete.

Research shows that these sidewalk structures are bad for business, and restaurants see a decrease in transactions in the months following a shed going up. In addition, the dark, cramped areas under sidewalk sheds encourage criminal behavior. 

The “Get Sheds Down” program will enforce current laws regarding these structures and will possibly add further regulations, such as having property owners show that they’re still doing construction work every 90 days.