A notoriously harmful Central Park thoroughfare for pedestrians and joggers has turn into much more treacherous — after a redesign that was purported to make it safer, locals say.
The revamped 6-mile loop debuted in June with only a single two-way lane for pedestrians whereas creating two new one-way lanes for gradual and fast-moving bikes — amid fewer stroll indicators, complicated new signage and still-ignored bike owner visitors lights, critics declare.
“Crossing any road in Central Park is like working the gauntlet, the lights don’t matter,” park-goer Lester Gottesman griped to The Put up alongside West Drive on the southern finish of the park.
“Sometimes, pedal bikes will cease, or horse and buggies will cease, [but] e-bikes, neglect it,” the 73-year-old surgeon stated.
“They shouldn’t be allowed: I’ve taken care of sufficient individuals run over by e-bikes.”
The stretch beforehand had one strolling lane, a motorbike lane and one or two car paths relying on the purpose you had been at alongside the drive.
A metropolis Transportation Division rep insisted to The Put up, “The Central Park Drives redesign is an ongoing undertaking to reimagine the park loop as a extra useful and accessible public house for New Yorkers and guests.
“Formed by a research and public suggestions, the undertaking emphasizes security by increasing designated house for pedestrians and cyclists with clearer separation between these areas to scale back conflicts.”
However a latest go to from The Put up to the world witnessed a number of near-accidents between pedestrians and zipping cyclists swerving between lanes.
Carriage-horse operator and union spokesperson Christina Hansen described a “freeway” scene of deliveristas racing north from Midtown throughout lunch and dinnertime.
However Metropolis Corridor slammed Hansen’s remarks as “shameful” and blasted the union for “scapegoating one other workforce — together with their very own members — to distract from video proof of high-profile, harmful horse-carriage accidents.
“This redesign of the Central Park Drive will convey extra order to the beloved loop for pedestrians and cyclists, however the [union] would relatively you flip the opposite cheek as horse carriages dangerously run rampant,” a Metropolis Corridor rep added.
Since June, 25 crashes have been reported within the park, in response to CrashMapper, together with an incident that claimed the lifetime of an e-bike rider when he hit a pedestrian.
By comparability, 12 crashes had been reported throughout the identical time interval in 2024 with none fatalities.
“Nobody stops right here: even with the stroll sign, the bikes don’t cease,” stated a park-goer who solely recognized himself as Tom.
“The bikes assume they personal the park.”
The redesign was undertaken after a research from the Central Park Conservancy printed final fall. Its ensuing plan aimed to “prioritize pedestrian security whereas additionally higher accommodating cyclists and authorized e-mobility choices.”
A conservancy rep stated, “Everybody ought to really feel secure strolling, jogging or using within the park.
“We share profound issues associated to excessive speeds on the Drives—particularly by e-scooters, e-bikes and non-electric racing bikes,” including that NYPD is chargeable for imposing the drive’s 20mph pace restrict.
However Hansen, who works within the park, stated police are scarce throughout its 843 acres — and that the redesign has been such a ache within the neck that his horse-carriage union thinks it was accomplished on objective to drive the buggies out.
“Collisions have elevated, I’ve seen numerous near-misses that I didn’t see earlier than,” she stated. “Individuals have already gotten harm. … And ambulances, police autos and rubbish vehicles can’t get round.”
The unpopular redesign just isn’t solely harmful however illegal, in response to New York E-Car Security Alliance president Janet Schroeder.
“What they’re doing is towards all [Americans with Disabilities Act] rules,” Schroeder stated of the elimination of pedestrian stroll indicators within the park, particularly for many who are low-vision or blind. “It’s very ageist and ableist.
“Older individuals with disabilities, the place can they go for walks anymore?”
A DOT rep stated the redesign is an ongoing undertaking and that the company is actively monitoring the undertaking and can make changes as wanted.
However Schroeder stated that within the meantime, the dashing downside is simply getting worse whereas aged and disabled parkgoers are pushed out of the inexperienced house in concern.
“It doesn’t clear up e-bikes on pedestrian walkways or clear up the issue of dashing,” she stated of the revamp. “It doesn’t clear up any of the problems we had within the park.”
