Car-Free Parks

Central Park No Longer a Parking Lot for City Employees

According to a Streetsblog tipster, the Parks Dept. is finally cracking down on the numerous employees who have turned sections of Central Park into a parking lot. Below is a broadcast e-mail from Parks Dept. Assistant Commissioner and Senior Counselor Jack Linn to Parks Dept. employees. I have a call in to the Parks Dept. to verify this e-email. Here is the message that was reportedly sent out on Friday:

By Aaron Naparstek

10:38 AM EDT on August 6, 2007

According to a Streetsblog tipster, the Parks Dept. is finally cracking down on the numerous employees who have turned sections of Central Park into a parking lot. Below is a broadcast e-mail from Parks Dept. Assistant Commissioner and Senior Counselor Jack Linn to Parks Dept. employees. I have a call in to the Parks Dept. to verify this e-email. Here is the message that was reportedly sent out on Friday:

—–Original Message—–
From: Parks Dept. Assistant Commissioner Jack Linn
Sent: Fri 8/3/2007 12:04 PM
To: Broadcast Message
Subject: East Drive Parking Permits
All employee parking permits for Central Park’s East Drive are hereby revoked, effective August 15, 2007. If you believe your circumstances justify having a permit for parking, you must reapply by filling out one of the usual forms available in my office.
As always, your request must be endorsed by a Commissioner or Chief on the line provided on the application form.
Anyone who does not now have a permit but feels justified in requesting one may also apply at this time.
However, we intend to reduce the overall number of vehicles on the East Drive, so any request for a permit may be denied, whether it is a request for a renewal or for a first-time permit.

And, of course, you can find lots more on this issue at UncivilServants.org.

Aaron Naparstek

Aaron Naparstek is the founder and former editor-in-chief of Streetsblog. Based in Brooklyn, New York, Naparstek's 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. He was also one of the original cast members of the "War on Cars" podcast. You can find more of his work on his website.