Despite our recent silence, Transportation Alternatives' Car-Free Central Park Campaign has been working hard behind the scenes these last several months to win a car-free park this summer. With the summer half over, it seems clear that despite our best efforts, and for reasons no one comprehends, the Mayor does not yet believe that making our parks car-free should be part of his vision for a "greener, greater New York City."

After the demise of congestion pricing, we felt certain that the administration would be eager to make a symbolic gesture reinforcing its commitment to reducing traffic. We believed that, finally, the planets were in alignment forat least a three-month trial closure of the park. Supporting this, either publicly or privately, are the Parks Commissioner, the Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner, the head of the Central Park Conservancy, the Manhattan Borough President, the Public Advocate, and four of the five City Council members whose districts surround the park. In May, Transportation Alternatives issued a report – based on research by our hard-working volunteers -- showing that the availability of the park drive is drawing traffic onto Harlem streets that otherwise would never be there.

But we seem to have not counted on the power of other forces to block any change in the park. What those forces are we do not know, but whoever they are, they clearly have the Mayor's ear. While our continued hard work, supported by 100,000+ petition signers have brought us new wins, most notably an extra hour of car-free time in the morning, even this positive is often negated by illegal drivers consistently circumventing the barriers and entering the park.

This administration now has a little more than a year to go down in history as the one that finally made Central and Prospect Parks the car-free refuges they were meant to be. If the Mayor continues to oppose or remain silent on the issue, we hope to work with City Council to schedule a hearing on Council Member Gale Brewer’s proposed car-free summer legislation, which has been lying dormant for two years. We also will be rallying you, our loyal supporters, as never before.

As an interim measure, we have proposed in a letter to Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe that the city institute "Car-Free Fridays" in Central and Prospect parks. Many New Yorkers travel out of town on Fridays, especially in summer and early fall, so the traffic impact of a closing would be less than on any other day. At the same time, the concept importantly gives those remaining in the city a three-day weekend from cars. It also, for the first time, breaks the decades-long pattern that "weekdays are for cars, weekends are for recreational users." We have not received a response.

In the meantime, to make it easier for our thousands of active supporters to learn more and take action, we hope you’ve noticed our newly updated and reorganized Car-Free Central Park Campaign’s Web site.

Finally, we are working with the great people at StreetFilms to make a short film about the many ways cars endanger park users and degrade the experience of the park. We believe the film will be a valuable and convincing tool as we enter what we hope is our final lap around the loop in this long crusade.

Ken Coughlin, Chair
Transportation Alternatives' Car-Free Central Park Campaign