A Car Free Central Park
"We have agreed not to drive our automobiles into cathedrals, concert halls, art museums, private bedrooms and the other sanctums of our culture; we should treat our parks with the same deference."
--naturalist and author Edward Abbey
As someone who spends a lot of time in Central Park, I've become a big supporter of Transportation Alternatives and their "Car Free Central Park" campaign. Dodging speeding cars with a large lens on a tripod is not my idea of a good time.
Another good reasons to ban cars in the park was drawn into sharp focus when, in late February, one of the adult Screech-owls that nests near the Park Drive West was struck by a car as it flew across the drive. Momentarily stunned, the owl flew off before it could be struck by another car. It was seen on three or four subsequent nights by owl-eyed observers but hasn't been seen in the past two weeks. It is believed the owl succumbed to its injuries.
Let's close the Park Drive to traffic. The park should be for people, not cars; especially not yellow cabs and black cars. I've seen some of these drivers commit such unspeakable acts it makes the blood curdle. It's only a matter of time before a jogger, pedestrian, or tourist gets run down by one of these madmen.
A more cynical view, voiced by a well-know park regular, holds that the rich people on Fifth Ave. need the park drive to funnel taxis off of Fifth and into the park so there won't be a lot of honking and congestion in front of their expensive digs. Well, if you believe that than stay home! I will tell you that there are more than 100,000 New Yorkers who have signed a petition urging our elected officials to close the park drive this summer. Besides, all those rich people will be the Hamptons, or Gstaad or wherever rich people go for the summer, so why should they care?
If you want a car free Central Park, I urge you to join your friends and neighbors at a rally in front of City Hall on Sunday, March 26th at noon. You can download a flyer here.
