Can Central Park get any more spacious? Yes, according to a new redesign plan announced on Thursday.
Multiple city agencies and a private organization announced that work will begin on March 17 on a new look for six miles of roadway in the iconic park that aim to help ensure safety for walkers, joggers and cyclists.
The redesign comes after years of increased e-vehicle usage and pedestrians and cyclists battling it out on shared, narrow paths. In one example, a near-collision sparked a violent dispute between two bike riders in the park last year, with one getting sprayed in the face with an unknown chemical.
The NYC Parks and Recreation (NYC Parks) and Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) worked with the nonprofit Central Park Conservancy on the upcoming new look, which aims to improve safety and more clearly designate space for pedestrians and cyclists.
The work is based on a study of the park that was published last year.
“For millions of New Yorkers and visitors each year, our parks offer the perfect place to work up a sweat, take in the fresh air, and connect with nature,” Sue Donoghue, NYC Parks commissioner, said. “With this innovative redesign of the park drives, we’re making it easier and safer for New Yorkers to bike, jog, and stroll through Central Park’s six-mile loop.”
NYC DOT will mill and repave the middle and southern portion of the park’s loop this year, from 96th Street on the West Drive to 90th Street on the East Drive. The northern section of the park loop will be repaved next year.
The agency will allocate space across the drives for different kinds of users while clearly marking an inner pedestrian lane, thus separating them from cyclists and “higher-speed users” like e-bikers.
City officials said there will be better signals to clearly designate them for cyclists and better direct pedestrians to archways to “reduce conflicts on the drives.”
The agencies said they would expand walking and running space along most segments of the drives while repurposing the outdated, dedicated vehicle lane as a “flex lane” dedicated to faster cyclists and essential vehicle access. Cars were banned in the park in 2018, with the exception of authorized vehicles.
“Turning Central Park’s drives into car-free spaces has allowed the city to reimagine how the park loop can best reflect the needs of parkgoers. NYC DOT will be taking advantage of this repaving to prioritize pedestrian safety while also better accommodating cyclists and legal e-mobility options,” NYC DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez said.
The agency expects to complete milling and paving over roughly six weeks, weather permitting, during weeknights beginning at 9 p.m. and finishing as late as 4 a.m.
The drives will not be closed during construction, but NYC DOT urges bikers and pedestrians to use caution when traversing the milled sections. Restriping of the road and all crosswalks will happen following the repaving.
“We thank New Yorkers for their patience while we deliver these upgrades to the city’s most iconic park and we appreciate the close partnership with Parks and the Central Park Conservancy,” Rodriguez said.
