OPINION: I Led the Campaign To Get Cars Out Of Central Park, But I Strongly Oppose an E-Bike Ban - Streetsblog New York City

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"When I headed up the campaign to get cars out of the park from 1996 and 2018, our main argument was that the presence of car traffic ran completely counter to Frederick Law Olmsted's vision of the park as a refuge from the city. But now, seven years after the automotive scourge was eliminated, I applaud the effort by the Central Park Conservancy (N.B. Post editors!) to safely accommodate e-bikes and scooters as part of the mix of users on the six-mile loop road."

"People now calling for a ban on e-bikes seem to forget what the loop was like when it was just an extension of the street grid. Recreational park-goers on foot or on two wheels were crammed into a narrow, painted lane as multi-ton vehicles hurtled by, often at more than 30 miles-per-hour. The threat was omnipresent, and runners and cyclists directly inhaled exhaust fumes."

Streetsblog requests tax-deductible donations to support free journalism and efforts to end car dependency in cities, offering a fundraiser gift and holiday greetings. A New York Post editorial criticized the Central Park Conservancy for repurposing a lane of the loop drive for e-bikes and micromobility. A campaigner recalls removing cars between 1996 and 2018 to protect Olmsted's vision of the park as a refuge. Seven years after cars were removed, the Conservancy seeks to safely accommodate e-bikes and scooters on the six-mile loop. Calls to ban e-bikes are rejected, and past dangers from motor traffic and exhaust fumes are noted as the user mix diversifies.

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