Ordinance No. 1 | January 18, 2026
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK, NEW YORK, ESTABLISHING SERIES OF LAWS REGULATING DESIGN AND CIVIL BEHAVIOR ON AND ALONG THE QUEENSWAY HEREAFTER KNOWN AS THE QUEENSWAY RIGHT-OF-WAY, OR QROW WHEREAS, because of the conditions prevailing in the City of New York where civilians have lost the basic civil right in the right of way, or safe passage, due to the continued Stop, Question and Frisk (SQF) by the New York City Police Department, it is therefore deemed essential to the public welfare that the City Council adopt the QueensWay Right-Of-Way, or QROW. NOW THEREFORE: BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK, NEW YORK: SECTION 1. AUTHORIZATION The Commissioner of Urban Equitable Development or his designee is hereby authorized and directed to implement the applicable provisions of this Ordinance upon his determination that such implementation is necessary to protect the public welfare and safety and enhance public trust and belief in the just and equitable society. SECTION 2. APPLICATION AND JURISDICTION The provisions of this Ordinance shall apply to the following: (i) civilians, defined as persons regardless of nationality, race or legal status; (ii) NYPD, to mean person or persons from the City of New York Police Department; (iii) QueensWay, the elevated 3.5-mile recreational linear park in central Queens. SECTION 3. ADDITION OF QROW ON THE QUEENSWAY (i) All persons shall be granted unlimited access to QueensWay. (ii) Civilians retain the right to actively observe and record NYPD presence from the QueensWay.
(i) Matters of legal status under Federal Statutes such as, but not limited to, immigration and citizenship, shall not be enforced on the QueensWay. (iii) The construction of temporary structures are permitted on the QueensWay provided they are without foundation or footings, and must be removed within 3 months of initial registration by members of QROW Board of Regulation. (iv) The temporary structures must not occupy more than half the width of existing, at-grade right-of-way. These structures may be utilized for any activity deemed lawful under the governing laws and statutes of New York City and State, provided they do not produce obnoxious use effects, such as, but not limited to, the impingement of acoustic, sanitary, air quality, shadowing, and other effects that shall be specified by the QROW Board of Regulation. (v) The QROW Board of Regulation shall be elected from persons either dwelling, studying, or employed within one quarter mile of the QROW. SECTION 4. ESTABLISHMENT OF QROW ACCESSORY STRUCTURES The physical aspects of QROW include the establishment of Accessory Structures that function as subordinate and necessary additions provided: (i) That they shall remain publicly accessible at all times, all year round. (ii) Entrance to the top level of Accessory Structures is explicitly denied to the members of the NYPD. SECTION 5. CONDITIONS OF QROW ACCESSORY STRUCTURES Accessory Structures shall be conditional upon: (i) Community vote or referendum. (ii) The allotted budget from City funds to build the first round consisting of no less than four (4) Accessory Structures along QROW. (iii) That they be built immediately adjacent to, or into QROW and must not encroach beyond 10' into public right-of-way. (iv) They must be built to heights no less than 30' and no greater than 60'. (v) Architectural style and materiality of the structure to be approved by independent commissions appointed by community boards and in full compliance with New York city building and sanitary codes. SECTION 6. APPLICABLE USES FOR QROW ACCESSORY STRUCTURES The following are sanctioned use of Accessory Structures within QROW:
(i) Observation of policing activity to deter unlawful and unnecessary abuses of power by NYPD. (ii) Recording of NYPD activities, such as but only if acts occur within the public realm and in no way obstruct or interfere with NYPD activities. (iii) Enjoying neighborhood views. (iv) As means of additional vertical access to and across QROW. SECTION 7. DATA MANAGEMENT AND PRIVACY All recorded data from use of Accessory Structures shall be subject to the rules and regulations of Open Community Data set forth herein, where: (i) All data shall be collected at a central data repository from which access is freely granted to all interested parties. For interested parties without internet access, all data will be made available at all branches of New York City Public Libraries. (ii) No data shall be edited or altered in any way prior to collection or retrieval. (iii) All data involving police and community interaction shall be considered admissible in court system of the United States of America but is subject to interpretation of all viewers including judges, juries, grand juries, and all other parties. (iv) Absolutely no data shall be considered admissible, barring the presence of both a civilian and a member of the NYPD. (v) Absolutely no data shall be collected where the primary subject(s) are not contained within the public realm of New York City. For the purposes of this section, the following is considered to be the public realm, specifically: city streets, city sidewalks, public parks, on QROW, front and side yards within view of Accessory Structures provided observer does not physically cross property lines; and rooftops within view of Accessory Structures. The following is not considered the public realm and is therefore inadmissible and shall not be recorded under any circumstance: (i) Side or rear yards outside the view of Accessory Structure. (ii) Any dwelling or other unit viewed through a window or door. SECTION 8. DOCUMENTATION CODE OF CONDUCT ON QROW All parties engaging in the documentation of NYPD SQF practices shall strictly adhere to the following code of conduct. Parties unwilling or unable to follow the rules set forth herein automatically forfeit their rights to participate in the legal recording of police action in the public realm:
(i) At no time shall a third-party civilian documenting a SQF engage with, physically contact or verbally taunt the NYPD or the individuals or groups of individuals being stopped, questioned, and/or frisked. (ii) A minimum distance of 10' from any party involved in a SQF shall be maintained at all times. (iii) If viewed from an accessory structure, the event shall be recorded using provided equipment and the viewer must log the event in the appropriate format and, if viewer believes the event is considered abusive, unnecessary, or otherwise inappropriate, said viewer should flag event as such in the log. (iv) In the event an arrest is made, there shall be absolutely no interference between the arresting officer and alleged perpetrator. SECTION 9. FUTURE MODEL PROVISION The establishment and provisions hereon for the QROW shall be a model way of thinking, whereupon civilians from various communities can selfinitiate community SQF surveillance action. PASSED AND APPROVED this 18th day of January 2026. _________________ Mayor ATTEST: ___________________ City Secretary / Clerk APPROVED AS TO FORM: ___________________ City Attorney