While Central Park's drives have been closed during 'The Gates' exhibition to traffic during the weekdays, has anyone noticed any difference to traffic flows in the park's immediate neighbouring streets?
Personally, I have not experienced a jot of difference where I live and work on the Upper West Side during peak hours and at other times of the day. If that experience has been the same on the Upper East Side and further north and south on both sides of the park, it would be the strongest argument I can think of to close the park permanently to motor traffic, with the exception of the crossovers, which were designed for use by motor traffic.
I wish I had thought of this earlier. It would be nice, or perhaps it is naive, to think that somebody from the Department of Transport might have bothered to monitor traffic levels during the closures.
If my experiences on the UWS have been experienced elsewhere, it would completely debunk the argument that motor traffic using the park's drives during peak hours relieves congestion on nearby streets and avenues.
Effect of park closures on nearby traffic flows
Wed, 02/23/2005 - 9:51am
Wed, 02/23/2005 - 12:00pm
#1
Riverside was a nightmare of epic proportions (well, there was a big traffic jam anyway) on Sunday afternoon. I switched to west end which seemed pretty normal.
During the weekdays I have not noticed a large increase in traffic.
Wed, 02/23/2005 - 3:24pm
#2
Traffic at weekends certainly increased
Yes, I forgot to mention that the traffic had increased at weekends, especially Sundays, on both Riverside Drive and the West Side Highway. But the issue is whether the closures had any impact on traffic flows during the weekdays. I suspect not.
Wed, 02/23/2005 - 3:32pm
#3
Check out CPW from 8 to 10 a.m.
It looks a lot heavier to me, but I prefer that to having the beasts in the Park.
