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

Eyes on the Street: A Smorgasburg of Traffic in Prospect Park [Updated]

2:22 PM EDT on August 31, 2015

Gridlock at Ocean Avenue and Lincoln Road as Smorgasburg drivers snake through Prospect Park. Photo: Stanley Greenberg
Smorgasburg traffic snaked out from the interior of the park across the loop road yesterday. Photo copyright Stanley Greenberg

Yesterday, popular food market Smorgasburg launched its first outpost in Prospect Park -- and brought a traffic mess into what's ostensibly a car-free park.

The food market, which features 100 vendors at Breeze Hill, used the park entrance at Lincoln Road for vehicle access. Event staff were on hand to direct motorists but were quickly overmatched, says reader Stanley Greenberg, who said there was actually a traffic jam in the park as the event wound down at around 6 p.m. yesterday.

A van driver attempts to turn around, using a Prospect Park sidewalk. Photo: Stanley Greenberg
A van driver attempts to turn around, using a Prospect Park sidewalk. Photo copyright Stanley Greenberg

A line of vans and cars snaked out of the park from Breeze Hill and clogged the crossing where Lincoln Road intersects with the park loop. Some drivers turned around after sitting in line, performing three-point turns and backing up onto sidewalks to exit the park, Greenberg said.

Looks like a relaxing spot for recreation. Photo: Stanley Greenberg
The late-afternoon scene. Photo copyright Stanley Greenberg

Smorgasburg moved to Prospect Park this month after three years in a fenced lot at Pier 5 in Brooklyn Bridge Park. That space, which has nearby street access to Furman Street, will soon become parkland.

Update 2:50 p.m.: Only vendors were allowed to drive into the park, said Prospect Park Alliance spokesperson Deborah Kirschner. Drivers were allowed between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. to set up before the market opened at 11 a.m., and then had to find their own parking outside the park. They were allowed to drive back into the park between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m., after the market closed, to clean up and break down their tents.

"A majority of vendors arrived with a vehicle, although some arrived on bike and a few wheeled their goods into the park by foot," Kirschner said in an email. "Overall, vendor load in and load out on our first day went smoothly, particularly given that it was the first event and vendors were familiarizing themselves with the route, although we understand there were congestion issues on Ocean Avenue, and this is something we will work to address for future Smorgasburg events."

Smorgasburg estimates 5,000 people attended yesterday's market, Kirschner said.

Thanks for reading!

Register or log in to continue.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

‘Duped’: A Harlem 20-Something Blows the Whistle on an Illegal Temporary License Plate Business

Kareem found out the hard way that his Craigslist gig delivering temp tags was illegal. Now he's exposing the operation that employed him, revealing clues about his anonymous bosses that all trace back to the same place.

June 9, 2023

Day 3: These Hunger Strikers aren’t Paid Lobbyists — But Albany Can’t Tell the Difference

ALBANY — “They are putting every barrier in our way to not have to face us directly and  look us in the eye and then make an unconscionable decision. This is Albany at its worst,” said Amy Cohen. 

June 8, 2023

Manhattan Pol Wants OMNY to Work With Citi Bike

Citi Bike could become even more popular if the MTA figured out a way to integrate it with the OMNY pay system.

June 8, 2023

MAP QUEST: See Exactly Why Sammy’s Law Would Be So Crucial for the Boroughs

Ironically, one of the most dangerous roadways — East Gun Hill Road — is in the district of the Assembly Speaker who reportedly opposes Sammy's Law.

June 8, 2023
See all posts