Mayor Expresses Opposition To Bill Banning Traffic In Parks
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Mayor Michael Bloomberg today spoke out against a proposed plan to eliminate traffic in parts of Central Park and Prospect Park.
The bill bans cars from the main loop in Central Park and all roads inside Brooklyn's Prospect Park.
The goal is to make the parks safer for cyclists, runners, and skaters. But Bloomberg says these roads keep traffic moving.
"If you did not allow cars in the park during rush hour, and, for example, these parks don't totally, generally they don't allow cars other than at rush hour, if you didn't do that the rest of the city streets would be overloaded and it would create an awful lot of traffic,” said the mayor.
The bill would only allow for cars to travel through Central Park cross town on the transverses at 65th, 79th, 86th and 96th streets. Currently, cars are allowed inside the park, on the loop during certain hours.
A traffic study will be conducted to determine the effects of closing the loop drives.