In 2007, the city scaled back the time during which cars are permitted to drive through Prospect Park. Yet in 2008, the park may experience its first car-free summer.

Currently, the park’s East Drive is open to cars between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m., and the West Drive is open from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Through the advocacy of Transportation Alternatives, a New York City nonprofit group, as well as initiatives driven by the mayor’s PlaNYC 2030, the East Drive’s 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. hours were eliminated in August 2007.

In conjunction with the mayor’s plan to make New York City a more sustainable environment, Transportation Alternatives is pushing to take the 2007 automobile restrictions to the next level by making Prospect Park completely car-free. In fact, Car-Free Prospect Park is one of Transportation Alternatives major campaigns.

If all goes well, Prospect Park will be car-free this summer. It is likely that cars will be permitted to drive through the park during the allocated hours at summer’s end. However, a successful car-free summer in Prospect Park will serve as a test case through which a more conclusive goal is advocated: a permanent end to cars in Brooklyn’s crown jewel.

Recommended Reading & Links:

• Car-Free Prospect Park Campaign
• Car-Free Prospect Park FAQ
• Take Action! Write a Letter to Prospect Park Decision-Makers
• Send an E-Postcard to Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz
• Get Involved and Support TransAlt by Becoming a Member
• Report: Downtown Brooklyn Traffic Calming
• NYC Bike Map (pdf)
• Prospect Park Interactive Map
• Press Release: A Car-Free Central Park Would Ease Traffic Congestion
• Report: Harlem’s Traffic Magnet - How Allowing Cars on Central Park’s Loop Drive Exacerbates Traffic Congestion in Harlem (pdf)

Get out there and get involved this summer!

Tags: Action, Car-free, Central Park, Harlem, Marty Markowitz, PlaNYC 2030, Prospect Park, Transportation Alternatives

Category: Alternative Transportation, Environmental Justice, Green Lifestyle, Green Space, Urban Greening

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6 Responses to “Car-Free in Brooklyn’s Crown Jewel: A Summer of No Cars in Prospect Park”

1. BOB Says:
   June 12th, 2008 at 4:50 pm

   So you are fine with increasing traffic around the park…

2. Ethan Says:
   June 12th, 2008 at 6:40 pm

   Bob, you should read the TA FAQ and Testimony of Sam Schwartz.

   From the FAQ:

   Myth: “If the park is closed to cars, there will be more traffic around the park.”
   Reality: Commuters in Brooklyn have more travel and route choices than any other city in the U.S. As long as Prospect Park remains a short cut, drivers will go out of their way to use it. If the park is closed to cars, drivers will adjust and choose from among the vast network of roads and rails built just for them.

   From the testimony:

   I know many in the community are concerned about the diversion of traffic to local streets. The morning diversion of traffic will be spread out over several routes. Drivers from Flatbush now have added capacity on the Prospect Expressway and Gowanus since the interchange has been improved and an extra lane has been added for Gowanus HOV’s with E-Z Pass. Those motorists coming directly to Park Circle can use Parkside Avenue to Ocean Avenue to Flatbush Avenue. These are significant routes and can be improved through signal timing, parking restrictions, pavement markings and other traffic measures.

   In the evening, more traffic is now able to leave Manhattan via the Battery Tunnel since the introduction of E-ZPass. From the Battery Tunnel motorists can bypass the Park by using the Prospect Expressway. Should they decide to take Flatbush Ave or Vanderbilt Avenue to Grand Army Plaza they have two choices: the reverse of the morning route- Flatbush Ave to Ocean Ave to Parkside Avenue (although many will remain on Ocean Ave), or Prospect Park West to Bartel Pritchard Square to Prospect Park Southwest to Park Circle. With some changes in signal timing and other traffic measures, these routes should be able to adequately handle the diverted traffic.

3. Streetsblog » Streetfilms: The Glory Days of Car-Free Park Rallies Says:
   June 13th, 2008 at 12:14 pm

   [...] waiting for the right moment to spring it on us. With the push for a car-free Central Park and Prospect Park gaining steam as summer approaches, not to mention the launch of the Livable Streets Network two [...]

4. Philip Says:
   June 13th, 2008 at 1:10 pm

   19 years ago my son was born in Methodist hospital. It was rush hour after five and my wife was having transitional labor pains and we were on the other side of the park stuck at the traffic circle when I realized that the park was open for traffic. She would have had the baby on the back seat of the car if the park had been closed to traffic. We literally just made it. Of course that’s anecdotal and no reason to argue in favor of not closing the park to auto traffic. Just saying

5. AN Says:
   June 13th, 2008 at 1:18 pm

   Phil,
   I think if you had driven through the park w/ your wife in labor, it would have been OK. In fact, if the park were closed to cars, you probably could have safely driven the wrong way around the Loop Drive and saved yourself a few minutes.

6. Streetsblog » Business Honchos Lobby Bloomberg for Car-Free Parks Says:
   June 26th, 2008 at 8:30 am

   [...] showed it would reduce cut-through traffic on neighborhood streets. Brooklynites are pushing for a car-free summer in Prospect Park as well. With the city’s "Summer Streets" program set to launch this year, keeping cars [...]

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