After an eight week trial of being car-free, and awaiting results traffic-impact of the trial period, it is finally official, starting in January 2018, Brookly’s crown Jewel, Prospect Park is finally going permanently car-free.
Brooklyn residents will have one less thing to worry about around Prospect Park. Following an eight week trial period over the summer, Mayor DeBlasio made the announcement that no cars will be allowed to cut through the park, starting January 2, 2018.
In a statement the Mayor said:
“I’m proud to announce a car-free Prospect Park. Starting on January 2nd, 2018 there will be no cars allowed in Prospect Park 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. And this is really about getting back to the original idea of this park, restoring it to its original purpose. It needs to be a place for everyone and it needs to be a place that’s safe and it needs to be a place that people can fully enjoy.”
The idea of a car-free prospect park isn’t new; cars have been banned from the West Drive that runs through Prospect Park for 2 years. The Trial period, that ran from July 17 through September 11th of this year, the city closed the park’s East Drive, usually open to cars during morning rush hours when pedestrians would normally be jogging, walking their dog’s and cycling. A press release notes:
“From July through September, cars had not been allowed on the park’s East Drive – now open to cars during morning rush hours. The car-free hours had enormous support from the park’s recreational users, who outnumber cars more than 3-1 during morning hours”
When the trial period ended the city received petitions calling for the park to go back to being car-free. In our own poll, 75% of those who answered wanted a car-free Prospect Park, with only %5 of participants wanting to drive through the park.
How new plan will affect drivers is not yet known, but thanks to the trial over the summer we do know that there will be little to no change in travel times for most drivers.
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Featured image source [Wikimedia Commons]