D.C. piloted its streatery program in May 2020 to keep businesses running through financial hardships posed by the pandemic. Now, the city wants to keep that momentum going and extend the temporary outdoor dining program through February, with plans for a permanent program to launch later in 2022.

The District Department of Transportation announced Friday that the program will run until Feb. 28. Businesses that applied for a streatery permit will automatically have their licenses renewed; all they have to do is print out and post a renewed version of the permit, as well as the temporary no parking signs, to show they are up-to-date and compliant with DDOT regulations.

Additional services afforded under the streatery program, including sidewalk table service, curbside pickup zones, and tents or heaters for winterization, will also be allowed to continue.

In January, Mayor Muriel Bowser proposed a bill that would create a designated area in the city for public alcohol consumption. People would be allowed to drink alcohol purchased at a bar or restaurant located within a “commercial lifestyle center” — think The Wharf meets the French Quarters. (BYOB would not be permitted.) The legislation would also extend the streateries program.

“The streatery program has been one example of a lifeline that helped businesses operate safely, stay afloat, keep their employees on the payroll,” Bowser said in a press release at the time.

Locals and businesses have largely supported the streatery program. DDOT conducted two online surveys earlier this year studying residents’ and businesses’ feelings about the program.

Out of 100 businesses holding streatery permits, 87% percent said their business increased compared to not having a streatery, and 89% supported having a streatery program past the public health emergency.

Among 3,000 locals surveyed, 73% said streateries caused them to eat out more often than they would have if the outdoor spaces did not exist, and 71% said the program gave them more access to dining and food options.

Some residents, however, are less eager to see streateries exist beyond the pandemic: 10% of locals surveyed reported they are not interested in seeing outdoor dining expand to areas including plazas, alleys, and partial street closures. Others have pointed out that streateries pose an additional challenge for people with disabilities navigating crowded sidewalks.