Almost a car-free Central Park
Well, at least it's something.
This from a press release on Transportaton Alternative's Web site:
On Tuesday May 9th, at 9:30 am Transportation Alternatives, Borough President Stringer and City Councilmembers held a press conference on the steps of City Hall to show their support for a car-free summer in Central Park and car-free summer afternoons in Prospect Park.
At 10 am, the City Council Transportation Committee heard Introduction 276, which calls on City Hall and its agencies to improve people's safety and enjoyment of Central and Prospect Parks this summer by closing Central Park’s loop drive to cars and Prospect Park's loop to cars in the afternoons. During the summer, park demand is highest and traffic volumes are lowest.
On Monday, May 8th, Mayor Bloomberg announced a plan to reduce car hours in Central and Prospect Parks. Starting Monday June 5, 2006, the plan will ban vehicles from Central Park's East Drive north of 72nd Street in the morning and from the West Drive in the afternoon, and it will ban driving on Prospect Park’s West Drive in the morning.
In reaction to Mayor Bloomberg's announcement, Paul Steely White, Executive Director of Transportation Alternatives says:
"Any reduction of car hours in Central and Prospect Parks, New York City's crown jewels, is a step in the right direction. But at the end of the day, these are parks, not parkways. They're for people, not cars. Every New Yorker needs a safe and healthy place to relax, recreate and play this summer."
"A car-free summer in Central Park and car-free summer afternoons in Prospect Park would yield great benefits to great numbers of New Yorkers. Fully opening the parks to walkers, joggers, strollers, bikers and skaters when park demand is at its highest, and when children are out of school and tourists flock to New York City, will set an example for cities around the world to provide safe, healthy, relaxing and tranquil respites from the busyness, rush and cacophony of city life."
