Bill to ban cars in Central Prospect Park Loops introduced.

This gets proposed every few years, and has always failed for various reasons.

Maybe the present DOT director will get it thru before being killed by the pro-car forces.

It's ridiculous that the concept of a car-free park is even a concept. Whose idea of a park has cars barreling through it? Robert Moses is still dead, right?

this is the way it was

this settles it! things never change!

bklyn50 said:

I will work to see that this item fails. The traffic around the park is always snarled. I would like to see the park loop re-opened to traffic at all times. For those of you new to Brooklyn, this is the way it was, and there was peaceful co-existence between people using the park and traffic.

I love how some people, native NYCers or not, select a moment in their memories as being the definitive iteration of X or Y or Z. Never you mind that things were in flux before and after - my cherished good ol' days were THE good ol' days... now get off my lawn.

Note: Apparently "segregation" is to be spelled wrong even when supported by an intelligent person, such as myself.

Think about it.

I loved my car. I sold it when I moved to NYC.

It just didn't make sense to have it here.

I hope the bill passes so I can lose my gut without having to watch for drivers like myself.

Congestion around the park is real-time, right now.

whynot_31,I believe that the people using their cars for transportation need them. How will your plan ease congestion and solve their transportation problems?

I think you are underestimating the number of drivers who have to drive around the park. The park is a large green space; the roadways probably take up less than 4% of the total space, and the entire urban space was designed to be used with the park allowing for thru-flow.

You answered my question with a question, whynot_31. If you are going to debate, debate honestly.

The park's internal roads serve as a round-about; it serves to efficiently route traffic to All communities bordering the park.

Agreed; I will seek support for my view through the City Council. The park, and the area around, it is not the sole preserve of the Park Slope community. The democracy you speak of would include All persons affected.

The wheel, lever & fulcrum, incline, are all ancient tools devised by mankind. Just because they are ancient doesn't negate their worth.

The communities around the park have changed; the need of the people to traverse the borough hasn't. When all communities are economically equivalent, then EVERYONE will be able to (hopefully) walk to ALL the services and vendors that they need. I continue to do my small part in improving my community. Until the time comes when all resources are distributed evenly, I will attempt to maintain whatever institutions (infrastructure, etc.) that I believe still work for the good of all the people.

For a man who likes history, I find it odd that you fail to mention that nature predates even ancient tools (such as the wheel, lever, fulcrum, and incline).

I believe other things can be inferred from your statements. I.E. You are wise enough to recognize that such inventions do not negate the worth of nature.

However, I am not certain you want me to focus on such positive aspects of your insights.

For example, you have yet to mention the simple fact that the existence of these inventions (especially as manifested in the form of private automobiles) in close proximity to nature actually mitigates everyone's potential welfare. Is this omission of the tradeoff between nature and the auto a simple error on your part, or is it due to space constraints?

I do not want to believe that omission is it willful. I want to believe I am engaging in a discussion with an honest debater.

Like you, I will make sure those who do realize the impact of cars on their ability to enjoy the park are heard. I am confident that we represent not only a cross section of the city's demographics, but also a numerical majority of the city.

I believe the body that will decide on this bill, the City Council, is composed of representatives from all over NYC: Brooklyn, New York, Queens, Staten Island, Bronx.

If the bill is approved by the Council, will you claim that you were not represented?

If the bill is not passed, I will make no such complaint.

As an automobile loving & owning, native Brooklynite, I support closing the loops off to traffic. These were meant for recreation, not freeway use. I doubt very much traffic will be affected more than it is with the ban. Accept for emergency vehicles and cars with permits, there's no justification for automobiles to cruise those loops. Open up all the whole blacktop to pedestrian and recreational bicyclists and horse drawn carriages (Central Park). I stress recreational bikes and not the speeding road bike/s. For which I would support a separate track and park all together.

They've been shutting down traffic in either direction, based upon the time of the day. No, the world hasn't ended.

WhyFi said:

I love how some people, native NYCers or not, select a moment in their memories as being the definitive iteration of X or Y or Z. Never you mind that things were in flux before and after - my cherished good ol' days were THE good ol' days... now get off my lawn.

If we are going to select a moment in the past to fixate on, let's pick the original decades of both parks. The loops were designed so that the wealthy could take a leisurely drive with their horses and carriages. They were places to see and be seen.

The loops were not designed to be transportation, but recreation. This design is in direct contrast to the traverses of Central Park that were intended as transportation corridors.

A big advantage to bringing back horses as the only types of motors for vehicles in the park is that no one's asthma will be set off by the pollution. No more jogging/cycling and choking simultaneously.