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Transportation & Environment
Transportation Alternatives, campaign for a car-free summer in Central Park.
WHEREAS, Central Park is the major recreation spot in Manhattan whose internal roads are currently packed with joggers, bikers, roller-bladers, walkers and others desiring outside recreation, in addition to vehicular traffic; and
WHEREAS, Numerous health and environmental organizations support a “car free summer” in Central Park including the America Lung Association, the Sierra Club, the American Heart Association and the League of Conservation Voters; and
WHEREAS, The entrances to Central Park Drive at West 90th Street, West 77th Street, East 102nd Street, and East 90th Street have been permanently closed since January 2005 without known detrimental impact to the surrounding neighborhoods; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That Community Board Five supports Mayor Bloomberg in his placing additional restrictions on car traffic in Central Park starting on June 5, 2006 through mid-November 2006, with Central Park’s West Drive open to motor vehicles only from 7:00 am to 10:00 am and Central Park’s East Drive north of 72nd Street open only from 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm; and
RESOLVED, That Community Board Five recommends the City fund an independent study to assess the environmental and traffic impact on the partial road closers, including but not limited to: air quality in and around the Park, how much traffic increases on proximate alternate routes and related congestion, possible increased travel times, pedestrian/vehicular accidents, and the effect on businesses inside the Park.
The above resolution passed with a vote of 19 in favor, 11 opposed, 1 abstention.