{"id":376939,"date":"2026-10-19T15:42:36","date_gmt":"2026-10-19T15:42:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/376939\/"},"modified":"2026-10-19T15:42:36","modified_gmt":"2026-10-19T15:42:36","slug":"eyes-in-the-park-dots-redesign-of-central-parks-drives-fell-way-short-of-promises","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/376939\/","title":{"rendered":"Eyes In The Park: DOT’s Redesign Of Central Park’s Drives Fell Way Short Of Promises"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\" For all our Central Park coverage, click here.<\/a><\/p>\n

The city\u2019s failure to fully implement a comprehensive redesign of the drives in Central Park as proposed in 2024 has left park users struggling as the formerly car-choked path has boomed with a wide variety of recreational uses.<\/p>\n

This year, three New Yorkers were killed while trying to enjoy the Drive, a roughly six-mile loop that, since the banishment of cars in 2018, now hosts a wider variety of recreational and commercial activities. <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>The 2024 study is worth re-reading<\/a>, if only because so little of it has been implemented. TYLin<\/a><\/p>\n

One cyclist was killed when an off-leash dog ran onto the drive. One pedestrian was killed by a pedal cyclist. And a tourist was killed when he fell out of a carriage pulled by a horse that bolted. <\/p>\n

Such fatalities, while extremely rare, have put a new spotlight<\/a> on Central Park, with cyclists mostly being used as scapegoats<\/a> when, in fact, bold action like the kind proposed two years ago by the Central Park Conservancy<\/a> would have created a new narrative in an old park. The city still has a chance to make Central Park less chaotic after banning cars, but has so far only implemented half-measures<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s just so many things that [city officials] said that they were thinking of doing that they haven\u2019t done,\u201d said Daniel Varghese, who runs the newsletter Leg Day<\/a> about recreational cycling in the city.\u00a0<\/p>\n

How did we get here?<\/p>\n

The Department of Transportation banned cars from the parks in 2018 and within two years, the city was gripped by a life-changing pandemic. Though seemingly unrelated, these events sent shockwaves across Central Park.<\/p>\n

The removal of cars, of course, led to a significant increase in people using the park in general and the Drives specifically, now that car drivers no longer created such unwelcoming noise, pollution and intimidation.<\/p>\n

The pandemic led to increases in recreational cycling and walking as well as home delivery of food and other products<\/a>. Delivery workers made long deliveries across multiple neighborhoods in hopes of making a living. These far-flung deliveries encouraged delivery cyclists to use the park drives as a cut-through \u2014 and also to avoid local streets that were, increasingly, themselves choked with truck traffic making additional deliveries.<\/p>\n

Something had to give.<\/p>\n

So in 2024, the departments of Transportation and Parks, plus the Central Park Conservancy released a comprehensive study<\/a> and redesign proposals conducted by the consulting firm TYLin (where current DOT Commissioner Mike Flynn worked). The study outlined a set of near-, middle-, and long-term recommendations that would reorganize and simplify the park Drives.<\/p>\n

\"\"Us vs. us: Who is using Central Park? TYLin<\/a><\/p>\n

The \u201cnear-term\u201d goals included ways to designate space for the park\u2019s many users: \u00a0differently hued pavement treatments to indicate which modes of travel should go where; textured pavement on the pedestrian path to discourage cyclists from using it to pass; a physical barrier between the cycling lane and the walking and running lane; and raised crosswalks to encourage faster modes to slow down at pedestrian crossings.<\/p>\n

But these changes were not implemented by the city\u2019s transportation and park officials, who at the time were DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez and Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue, both appointed by then-Mayor Eric Adams.<\/p>\n

Instead of an extensive reimagining, DOT updated the drive markings with unclear symbols, and some, but not all, of the Drives\u2019 traffic lights were set to blinking yellow \u2014 and indication to cyclists to yield. But next to the lights are signs that tell pedestrians, \u201cStop Here\u201d \u2014 a confusing mixed message.<\/p>\n

Streetsblog spent the day in the park on Thursday and that confusion is palpable.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"The two markings above the cycle icon on the right are supposed to indicate faster speed. Photo: Sophia Lebowitz<\/p>\n

The new intersections are understood differently by different users. There are still traffic lights, the pedestrian signals are covered by a temporary looking burlap sack, and there are signs telling cyclists to \u201cstop\u201d for pedestrians. Some trying to cross the street are waiting for everyone approaching the intersection to come to a complete stop to wait for them to cross. But the blinking yellow traffic light indicates to cyclists that they should yield, not necessarily come to a complete stop.<\/p>\n

This gets confusing, much like at a road intersection where drivers and pedestrians eye each other until figuring out who is going to yield \u2014\u00a0an inherently unsafe negotiation.<\/p>\n

\"\"A confusing intersection in part because the red \u201cStop\u201d light appears to be a relic of the days when car drivers could use the park Drive and in part because the crosswalk is faded. Photo: Sophia Lebowitz<\/p>\n

Steve Vaccaro, a bike-advocate lawyer who has ridden laps in Central Park since he was a teenager and is a board member of the New York Cycle Club, said he often experiences miscommunications with pedestrians. If he motions for them to use their right of way and slows down, a waiting crosser won\u2019t always start walking until he completely stops.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cDoes [the pedestrian] really need me to put a foot down [on the ground] before he\u2019s going to take the right of way?\u201d Vaccaro asked rhetorically. \u201cWhen I\u2019m already motioning with my hand, saying, \u2018After you?\u2019 I\u2019ve said that to at least five pedestrians in the park in the last week. And then, from the pedestrian\u2019s perspective, they\u2019re like, \u2018If I get it wrong, I\u2019m dead.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

And then there\u2019s the passing. Because the Drive was previously organized around private car traffic, pedestrians and cyclists were squeezed into the inner ring, while drivers enjoyed two full lanes on the outside, or the left side.<\/p>\n

The DOT\u2019s redesign kept that general organization intact. The slowest users \u2014 runners and walkers \u2013 have a designated lane on the left. Next to that is a slow bike lane, followed by a fast bike lane that is shared with the other vehicles that occasionally use the park.<\/p>\n

But the markings aren\u2019t clear and there is just one spot in the park, the tourist-heavy Columbus Circle entrance,\u00a0that Streetsblog observed that explains the setup.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"This is one of the only spots in the park where the design is clearly explained. Photo: Sophia Lebowitz<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need to have a consensus as to what the rules are, so that it\u2019s predictable where danger is going to come from,\u201d said Vaccaro.\u00a0\u201cWe need to make sure that the pedestrians are aware that danger is coming from cyclists proceeding in the lawful direction of travel in the areas marked as bicycle lanes, and that they need to anticipate and respect the cyclists who have the right of way moving through that space.\u201d<\/p>\n

The setup means cyclists are meant to pass each other on the right, an atypical arrangement that adds to the confusion. Additionally, some cyclists have been accused of poor behavior while doing recreational or training laps.<\/p>\n

\"\"The 2024 proposal included major improvements, including enhanced pedestrian zones, with texturization and color (1), rumble strips (grooving) between the pedestrian zone and other lanes (2) and separating
pedestrian and cycling space could also be accomplished with a different type of
detectable strip, such as tactile warning bumps, and icons and color treatments on the Drive (3). Rendering: TYLin<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cPeople do not have great cycling etiquette. \u2026 Like hand signals and just looking over your shoulder and things like that,\u201d said Nick Cabot Rodriquez, who rode the loop as a member of the New York University Cycling team before cars were banned.\u00a0\u201cWhen you combine that with the passing lane being on the opposite side, \u2026 I think that can be problematic.\u201d<\/p>\n

He added that Central Park is a victim of its popularity now that car drivers have been banished.<\/p>\n

\u201cpeople taking [exercise and training] very seriously right next to other people for who it\u2019s their first time in Central Park,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\"\"Sharing space on the Central Park Drive. Photo: Sophia Lebowitz<\/p>\n

The DOT said it incorporated the recommendations where feasible. But raised crosswalks or barriers between lanes were deemed infeasible because vertical delineators would need to be removed for events, the agency said. The DOT added that it will continue to make adjustments to Drive intersections on an as-needed basis (at one crossing, the DOT has added \u201crumble strips\u201d which alert cyclists with a noise and slight vibration).<\/p>\n

DOT also said that it implemented its classic green-for-bike and beige-for-pedestrian features in high-traffic areas. But Streetsblog walked the entire loop one day last week and found that there is only one green-painted spot, and the beige paint is only used on a few pedestrian islands.<\/p>\n

Agency spokesperson Will Livingston defended the DOT\u2019s efforts.<\/p>\n

\u201cDOT\u2019s recently completed redesign expands pedestrian and cycling space while better separating those walking from faster users,\u201d he said in a statement. \u201cDOT is working in close collaboration with the Central Park Conservancy and NYC Parks to continually monitor use of the drives and make adjustments to enhance safety for everyone enjoying this iconic park.\u201d<\/p>\n

Interestingly, the 2024 recommendations did not include any specific speed limit for cyclists in the park, nor did the Central Park Conservancy call for one. But the Adams administration moved to institute one anyway (signs are up in the park, but the policy remains frozen as litigation continues).<\/p>\n

This year, however, after the killing of a pedestrian by a cyclist<\/a> in September, the Conservancy issued a statement<\/a> demanding the 15-mile-per-hour speed limit.<\/p>\n

Vaccaro, whose group is suing<\/a> the city over a proposed speed limit, believes the city is intentionally drawing the focus on cyclists to distract from its failure to implement more safety features.<\/p>\n

\u201cBy mismanaging the loop to the point where cyclists and pedestrians and dog walkers are so angry at each other and even killing each other, then they can come in and they say, \u2018There\u2019s a crisis and we have the answer: Let\u2019s remove the element of danger: the cyclists,\u2019\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

According to the DOT\u2019s recorded stats, severe injuries did increase last year on the Drive. In 2025 there were a total of 34 severe injuries, up from 28 the year prior. So far this year, the first full year with the implemented changes, there have been 20 severe injuries on the Drive.<\/p>\n

\"\"Severe injuries recorded on the Central Park Drive. Graph: DOT<\/p>\n

Exercise or exorcise?<\/p>\n

The victory over private cars dramatically increased the use of the park drive for recreation. That\u2019s a good thing \u2014 Central Park may be the world\u2019s gleaming image of an urban tourist attraction, but it\u2019s also many New Yorkers\u2019 backyard.<\/p>\n

And like so many times in this space-starved city, many people are saying, \u201cNot in my backyard\u201d \u2014\u00a0this time about bikes.<\/p>\n

To Vaccaro, who was also part of the campaign to ban private cars, cyclists are now being punished for what they fought for, which benefits everyone. The 15-mile-per-hour speed limit is a de facto ban on serious road cycling because cyclists in training routinely hit speeds of over 20 miles per hour.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe won, and now we\u2019re being kicked out because we\u2019re being told that we create too much danger on the loop,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"A road cyclist enjoying laps on the Central Park Drive. Photo: Sophia Lebowitz<\/p>\n

Most serious cyclists save their workout laps for the early morning, when the park is less crowded. And some even opt to train elsewhere because the park has so many visitors.<\/p>\n

\u201cUnless I\u2019m riding in the early morning or late at night, Central Park is not somewhere where I feel like you can stretch your legs as a cyclist,\u201d said Rodriguez. \u201cI don\u2019t necessarily know if that\u2019s even what it is made for. The tough thing is cyclists are really bummed, but we are asking for a lot. Cyclists are basically asking for a place where they can go as fast as they can and have no obstructions, which is a pretty big ask in a city of eight million people.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Vaccaro wants the city and the Conservancy to set aside specific hours, from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m.,\u00a0for cyclists to train in order to preserve serious riding while setting aside the park for virtually the rest of the day for slower road users and pedestrians.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s what we\u2019ve been pushing, and they refuse to engage,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Maintaining the Central Park Drive as a place for serious cycling is important, cyclists say, because of the dearth of places in the city to train. It\u2019s worth noting that at least Olympian \u2014\u00a0Paris gold medalist Kristen Faulkner \u2014\u00a0started her cycling journey in the park.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hear a lot of people say, \u2018Why don\u2019t you do it somewhere else?\u2019 There isn\u2019t really anywhere else. It\u2019s also just amazing that this is so well located. Because of the convenience, it created a cycling culture here that is really exciting, which the city should be proud of,\u201d said Varghese, of Leg Day. \u201cWe literally have a person who started riding bikes in Central Park and then won the Olympics.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"For all our Central Park coverage, click here. The city\u2019s failure to fully implement a comprehensive redesign of…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":376940,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[9,24,63,122,124,123],"class_list":["post-376939","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-queens","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-city","tag-nyc","tag-queens","tag-queens-headlines","tag-queens-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/376939","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=376939"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/376939\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/376940"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=376939"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=376939"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=376939"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}