Central Park
Streetsblog Basics
Making History: 2004 Car-Free Central Park Film Chosen for MCNY Exhibit
In the midst of a 2004 petition drive and campaign, Transportation Alternatives hired me to produce a mini-film called "The Case for a Car-Free Central Park." It featured interviews with many prominent New Yorkers, like Columbia professor Ken Jackson and author Roberta Brandes Gratz, along with dozens of everyday park-goers testifying about how they felt about cars in the park.
May 3, 2012
Three CB8 Committees Approve Two-Way 72nd Street Central Park Bike Lane
A plan to transfer one lane of 72nd Street from motor vehicles to bicycles in Central Park earned a thumbs up from three committees of Manhattan Community Board 8 last night, a strong show of approval from a board with a mixed record on bike infrastructure. The total vote was 13-1, with one abstention, according to transportation committee co-chair A. Scott Falk.
April 12, 2012
Two-Way Bike Lane Will Cross Central Park Along 72nd Street
This summer, cyclists will have a second path to safely cross Central Park.
March 20, 2012
Rumor Mill: City Collecting Data for Car-Free Central Park?
Central Park advocate Ken Coughlin tells us he's spotted a traffic counting strip on the park loop, near Tavern on the Green.
July 20, 2011
Community Boards Line Up for Car-Free Central Park. Whither Bloomberg?
By unanimous voice vote, the full board of Manhattan CB 11 has passed a resolution endorsing a summer trial for a car-free Central Park. Says park advocate Ken Coughlin, "We have the agreement of all the boards surrounding the park and are now waiting for a response from DOT on whether they will move ahead with a July 4 weekend to Labor Day closing."
June 23, 2011
Tonight: Keep Up the Momentum for a Car-Free Summer in Central Park
Amid the flurry of community board votes this week on the proposed trial to make Central Park car-free this summer, we missed tonight's CB 8 full board meeting.
June 15, 2011
Car-Free Central Park Trial Picks Up More Community Board Endorsements
Support for a car-free Central Park trial is gaining momentum, with three additional community board nods.
June 8, 2011
Thursday: Speak Up for Cross-Town Central Park Bike Paths
A plan to open Central Park to east-west bike traffic is poised to move forward, and proponents are encouraged to turn out Thursday night to voice their support.
June 1, 2011
Reason Makes a Comeback in Central Park
It may now be safe for cyclists who want to get some exercise -- as opposed to waiting for lights to turn green or for officers to finish writing $270 tickets -- to return to Central Park.
April 15, 2011
UWS Struggles to Solve Central Park Bike Crackdown, Likes East-West Paths
Upper West Side residents want to make Central Park once again a welcoming place for recreational cyclists, based on the near-unanimous position of Community Board 7's parks and transportation committees at a joint meeting last night. But with the NYPD intransigently committed to its ticketing blitz and DOT unwilling to pay for changes to the traffic signals in the park, it's not clear how to move forward. Some bright news is on the horizon for cyclists hoping to use Central Park for transportation, however: Two east-west routes through the northern end of the park should open this summer.
March 29, 2011