Mayor de Blasio bans cars from Prospect Park

Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Monday that cars will henceforth be banned from Prospect Park, Brooklyn’s 526-acre oasis of plants, water and soil.

The new regulation will take effect Jan. 2, 2018.

As a parent, having cars on the road in Prospect Park meant I was always looking over my shoulder. A car-free park means peace of mind. pic.twitter.com/b6gpjqm1L3

— Mayor Eric Adams (@NYCMayor) October 23, 2017

The two main roads that run basically a loop around the park currently are East Drive and West Drive. West Drive has been closed to cars since 2015, and East Drive is open to cars only from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. on weekdays, currently.

This summer the city ran a car-free pilot, shutting down West Drive even during rush hour and found that it didn’t meaningfully increase traffic on the surrounding roads.

“While the analysis of the car-free trial is still being finalized, its preliminary results clearly indicate no alternative driving route experienced more than a minimal delay, with most experiencing no change in travel times whatsoever,” according to a post from the Prospect Park Alliance. “Based on that data, officials are now confident a fully car-free park can be implemented without adverse impact.”