The city of Orange, California, will continue allowing outdoor dining at the Orange Plaza Paseo to assist businesses through the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Orange County Transportation Agency (OCTA) board approved an extension on Nov. 8 for outdoor dining to continue indefinitely for restaurants at the Paseo on Glassell Street, according to OCTA spokesman Eric Carpenter.

Glassell Street is a two-lane street and has been closed off to traffic since July 2020.

The Orange Plaza Paseo was created between Maple and Almond Avenues to allow businesses to operate outdoors amid the pandemic.

OCTA granted Orange the extension after the city reported having a “positive experience” with the Orange Plaza Paseo, Carpenter told The Epoch Times.

OCTA updated its Master Plan of Arterial Highways—a planning system of countywide streets intended to support traffic flow—per the city of Orange’s request to extend the Orange Plaza Paseo Glassell Street closure.

OCTA staff worked closely with the city of Orange to propose the amendment prior to the approval, according to Carpenter.

The Epoch Times reached out to the city of Orange but received no response by deadline.