NYC Officials Push To Ban Cars From Parks

NEW YORK, NY — Private vehicles could be removed from park roads across New York City under a new citywide campaign launched by elected officials, transit advocates, and community groups at McCarren Park.

The “Car-Free Parks” campaign seeks to convert park roadways into pedestrian space to expand public access, improve safety, and reduce traffic inside green spaces. The effort builds on similar pedestrianization efforts in other parks and streets across the City.

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Elected officials, transit advocates and community groups gathered at McCarren Park on Saturday to launch the campaign.

“Every borough has roads running through parks that could be doing so much more for the communities around them,” Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso said. “In Brooklyn, one of those roads is Driggs Avenue. It is time to give it back to the people and make McCarren Park the park that North Brooklyn deserves.”

Some New York City park roads remain at the center of a debate over whether limited-use drives should be closed to private vehicles and converted into expanded public space.

In Williamsburg, residents pointed to the area surrounding Domino Park, where a roadway runs alongside the waterfront development.

Some argued the street sees relatively little traffic and could function as additional park space. Others noted the street’s status is tied to the Domino redevelopment, where ownership and control of surrounding infrastructure are shaped by agreements between private developers and the city, making any change subject to planning and approval processes rather than unilateral action.

In Queens, discussion also focused on park drives such as those in Forest Park, where advocates and residents have raised concerns about vehicle access through recreational areas

Critics of park road reopenings argue that even low-volume traffic can affect safety, accessibility and the overall experience of park users, particularly in areas where pedestrians and cyclists share space with vehicles.

Across these examples, the central tension remains consistent: whether park roadways that carry limited or localized traffic serve a necessary transportation function or represent underused space that could be reclaimed for recreation, green space and pedestrian access.

“New Yorkers have already seen what’s possible when we prioritize people over private vehicles in our public spaces,” said Kathy Park Price, Director of Advocacy and Policy, New Yorkers for Parks. “With a new administration signaling support for bold public realm investments, now is the time for New York City to take action toward a comprehensive car-free parks vision.”