Official Statement on Central Park Car-Free Hours Increase

1:00 PM EDT on July 31, 2007

As we reported yesterday, starting Monday, August 6, Car-Free time in Central Park will be increased by one hour in the morning on the Park's West Drive. Here are the details from the Dept. of Transportation:

New York City Department of Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan and Parks & Recreation Commissioner Adrian Benepe today announced further restrictions on vehicular traffic in Central Park. Beginning on Monday August 6, 2007, vehicles will only be allowed to use the West Drive from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
"Central Park is busy in the mornings with walkers, joggers and cyclists," said DOT Commissioner Sadik-Khan. "I am pleased we will be able to provide additional time for everyone to utilize the park free from vehicles."
"These new traffic hours will continue to improve the quality of life and safety for all park visitors," Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe said. " I'd like to thank Commissioner Sadik-Khan and the Department of Transportation for continuing their work to balance the needs of all New Yorkers."
Currently, vehicular traffic is allowed on the West Drive of Central Park between the hours of 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., while the East Drive is only open from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. (the East Drive from Sixth Avenue to 72nd Street and Fifth Avenue is open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.). Under the new restrictions, effective August 6, 2007, morning vehicular access will be limited to the West Drive from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. The park will continue to be closed to motor vehicles overnight and during the weekends.
The speed limits at both parks will remain 25 mph. The HOV restrictions for Central Park's West Drive, in effect since November 29, 2004, will also remain in place. These reductions will further improve the parks' overall traffic flow, minimize potential pedestrian/vehicle conflicts, and make available additional space for non-vehicular uses.

Aaron Naparstek

AARON NAPARSTEK is the founder and former editor-in-chief of Streetsblog. Based in Brooklyn, New York, Naparsteks journalism, advocacy and community organizing work has been instrumental in growing the bicycle network, removing motor vehicles from parks, and developing new public plazas, car-free streets and life-saving traffic-calming measures across all five boroughs. Naparstek is the author of "Honku: The Zen Antidote for Road Rage" (Villard, 2003), a book of humorous haiku poetry inspired by the endless motorist sociopathy observed from his apartment window. Prior to launching Streetsblog, Naparstek worked as an interactive media producer, pioneering some of the Web's first music web sites, online communities, live webcasts and social networking services. Naparstek is currently in Cambridge with his wife and two young sons where he is enjoying a Loeb Fellowship at Harvard University's Graduate School of Design. He has a master's degree from Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism and a bachelor's degree from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. Naparstek is a co-founder of the Park Slope Neighbors community group and the Grand Army Plaza Coalition. You can find more of his work here: http://www.naparstek.com.

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