City Council members voted to make Open Streets permanent Thursday. 

With a 39-8 vote in favor of Open Streets, the city will now begin the process for making the Open Streets program permanent. 

The program transforms some road area into public space and prioritizes pedestrians and cyclists rather than cars. 

The bill would require the Department of Transportation to operate the program, which could then be managed by the DOT or community organizations. 

Now that the bill is passed, organizations that want the program in their community can apply to operate an Open Street. 

The DOT will provide resources to Open Streets sites. The program will be evaluated annually to determine if any changes should be made, such as conversion to a shared street or pedestrian plaza.