Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Car-Free Parks

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.

There are two proposals in play. The first would close the park to cars for four months, from the July 4 weekend through the first weekend in November. A second plan, from the Manhattan Borough Board (borough boards are comprised of the borough president, borough City Council members, and the chair of each community board) would end the trial on Labor Day but allows for a DOT extension. Here's the latest:

    • Manhattan CB 7 has approved both the original and Borough Board resolutions by votes of 32-1 and 29-1, respectively.
    • The transportation committee of CB 11 approved the Borough Board resolution unanimously.
    • The CB 1 Planning and Community Infrastructure Committee also passed the Borough Board reso with a unanimous vote.

So far, of approximately 90 member votes from six different Manhattan community boards, only four members have cast their lot against temporarily returning Central Park to its original purpose (minus the transverses). These include favorable votes from Community Boards 5, 7, and 8. The car-free reso failed on a 2-1 vote with two abstentions before the CB 9 transpo committee, but is expected to come up again before the full board.

How much weight such widespread support will carry with the heretofore unimpressed Mayor Bloomberg -- CB votes are only advisory, after all -- remains an open question. But as the late Jane Jacobs wrote to park advocate Ken Coughlin in 2002:

"A trial [closing], with traffic counts on the Central Park perimeter streets, will be more persuasive than any amount of talk, letter-writing, resolutions, and other endless wheel-spinning."

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

How the Sausage Gets Made: Republicans Force Meaningless Vote on Congestion Pricing Repeal

... And will the Idaho Stop become a victim of the current bikelash? It's all in today's Capitol Idea by Amy Sohn.

May 13, 2025

‘Chaos’ Candidate? DoorDash Gave $1M to Super PAC Backing Cuomo, Who Decries Delivery Workers

Cuomo says he'll fix the chaos on the Streets by reining in app companies, but DoorDash just donated $1 million to help him win.

May 13, 2025

The Dave Colon Challenge: Whitney Tilson Is Pro-Bike, Pro-Business And Pro-Police

The political novice has 30 years experience cycling in the city but doesn't have a political record to help predict what his safe streets governance strategy would be.

May 13, 2025

Can New York City Fix Its Deadly ‘Conduit’ to JFK Airport?

The extra-wide medians on Conduit could fit 46 football fields, which combined with extra-wide travel lanes makes the strip prone to speeding and crashes.

May 13, 2025

Tuesday’s Headlines: Bike Your Mayor to Work Day

It's the final day of our mayoral questionnaire week. Plus other news from a busy day!

May 13, 2025
See all posts