Other Parks

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Wherever possible, other city parks should move in the direction of limiting auto traffic (Forest Park in Queens is another auto-reduction candidate). But this should be done with alternatives in mind. In Central and Prospect Parks, provisions can be made for regular jitney bus service for those who have trouble negotiating the parks on foot. Planners should keep in mind that a huge segment of the population is intrigued by the prospect of taking up cycling, but unconverted. To encourage them and to allay their fears, bike rental shops should be encouraged, and well-marked greenways should increasingly be given priority over park roadways.

In Flushing Meadow Park in Queens, a new loop modeled after the Central Park carriage drive should be developed around the two lakes and on the perimeter of the main part of the park; this could be done at low cost by linking existing pathways there. The Parks Department's proposed Jamaica Bay circumferential pathway in Gateway National Park should be constructed. New cycling facilities, such as a bicycle racing track or BMX course, should be considered in plans to develop the Floyd Bennett portion of Gateway. Fort Tilden already has in place a good pathway system; all it needs to become a major cycling destination is secure bicycle parking near the beach. Where possible, areas of ecological importance, like the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge and the Audubon Buffer/the Bay Project, should include bicycle access.

Kissena Park bike track in eastern Queens has deteriorated since the national cycling championships were held there in 1964. New York City, home of Olympic and world-class cyclists Nelson Vails and Mike McCarthy, deserves a first-class velodrome.
Al Hatos/American Cycling Newsletter