New York, NY – Mayor Bill de Blasio today announced permanent improvements to Central Park and Prospect Park that will make the majority of each park car-free, with park drives dedicated solely to recreation for the first time in more than a century.
Join our WhatsApp groupSubscribe to our Daily Roundup Email
The changes will restore major sections of two of the city’s crown jewel parks to their original vision as recreational paths, making the parks healthier, safer and more accessible to millions of New Yorkers.
Central Park’s entire loop drive above 72nd Street will be permanently car-free. Prospect Park’s West Drive between Grand Army Plaza and Park Circle, previously open to motor vehicle traffic for two hours during weekday afternoons, will likewise be permanently reserved solely for recreation.
With these changes, more of each park will be car-free than at any time since the first automobiles were introduced to them at the turn of the 20th century. Combined, more than 45 million people visit Central Park and Prospect Park each year.
“Prospect Park has always been my family’s backyard. That’s a sentiment New Yorkers in every borough feel about their parks. Making the loop drives in Central and Prospect Parks permanently car-free for the first time in more than a century will make these great spaces safer, healthier and more accessible to the millions who flock to them,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio.
The Department of Transportation conducted extensive traffic analyses of both parks’ loop drives and surrounding streets prior to undertaking these improvements. Neither change is projected to impact travel times or congestion in nearby neighborhoods. In Central Park, this change is consistent with the seasonal car-free summer hours of the past two years, which have proven to have had no adverse impacts.
The four Central Park Transverse roads will remain open to motor vehicle traffic. Emergency and parks maintenance vehicles will continue to have access to the loop drives as necessary. To further improve mobility in Manhattan communities adjacent to Central Park, the DOT will extend the Fifth Avenue bus lane north to 110th Street from 7-11 a.m. on weekdays. Fifth Avenue is one of the heaviest travelled bus routes in the City, with over 74,000 local and express bus riders each day.
The question is, why are there cars in Central Park in the first place?
I’d prefer if the entire city of New York became “DeBlasio free.”
ימח שמו
modern warfare: the automobile
Traffic will now become a nightmare!
They want everyone to use mass transit and bicycles, if they are taking away the drive to coney island in the afternoon hours, they should give us back the lanes they took on prospect park to add 2 bikes lane!!!
No cars in the park, so let all bikes get off the streets!!!!
Several members of the city council and environmental leaders have proposed eliminating all vehicular traffic on 13th Avenue in BP…this important proposal has been languishing for nearly two years with no action to implement. Why are the rich yidden who live along Central Park worthy of protection but not the poor yidden in BP who would greatly benefit from a pedestrian mall along 13th Avenue with trees, benches and NO CARS.
the west drive in prospect park has been been closed in the morning coming from Crown Hts or Willy B heading to Boro Park/Flatbush for many years,so now it will be permanently closed 24/7
At least they kept open the east drive in the mornings heading to WillyB/Crown Hts,on weekdays,for …..now time being
This is what happens when you elect progressive/liberal democrats who only pander to the lower rungs of society because that’s who will give them votes and elect them,re-elect them and keep them in office forever.
This is true across the board on all issues we face together as a society in NY
As long as” their ” guy giving them back govt funds and giving people no incentive to work and become productive members of society(in a city like NY where opportunities are endless and the whole world comes here to WORK) the officials will keep on pandering to them, and the rest of society will have to put up with their ideals, like it or MOVE it !!
Although Bloomberg reversed a trend for a while, the exodus out of the city by productive members of society in all colors , race & religions has resumed again.
For number 9, I don’t know what time ur driving but it adds 15 min to my drive home when the park is closed and when u have a ups, FedEx, or fresh direct truck, or any double parked car on prospect park west it becomes a ONE LANE street!!!!they should give us back a lane and tell all bikers to use the park!!!!