Drivers who cut through Brooklyn’s Prospect Park during the morning rush hour will need to find an alternate route for the summer.
Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Monday that East Drive, on which drivers travel northbound from Park Circle to Grand Army Plaza, will be car-free from Monday, July 17, through Monday, Sept. 11. The mayor permanently closed the park’s West Drive to traffic in 2015, while East Drive remained open on non-holiday weekdays from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m.
“A safer and quieter park improves the safety and enjoyment for thousands of park users — and has a negligible effect on traffic outside the park,” de Blasio said in a statement. “We are thrilled to bring even more of Prospect Park to even more of Brooklyn for the next couple months.”
It is the first time Prospect Park will be completely free of cars, Department of Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg said.
Vehicle traffic on East Drive tends to be much lower during the summer months, with fewer than 300 vehicles traveling on the roadway, DOT data found. However, the stretch is used by roughly 1,000 joggers, cyclists and pedestrians during peak morning hours, the DOT said.
The upcoming closure of East Drive will be publicized to drivers over the course of the next week via social media and electronic boards posted at Park Circle.
For first time in decades, Prospect Park will go entirely car-free this summer – making it safer and more fun for thousands of park-goers. pic.twitter.com/XyfI3SzrDV
— Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) July 10, 2017
