The Real Problem in Central Park Isn't Speed - It's Scarcity - Streetsblog New York City

"New York City has chronically underinvested in cycling infrastructure compared to its global peers. When too many users - walkers, runners, commuters, families, tourists, and athletes - are forced to share a single, finite facility, conflict becomes inevitable. Lowering the speed limit on Central Park Drive is an attempt to manage scarcity through restriction rather than solving it through investment."

"Consider that London, with a comparable population and geographic footprint, invested roughly $100 million in cycling infrastructure in 2025 alone. This continues a multi-year commitment to building out the network of cycleways connecting to its central business district. New York City has consistently fallen short of its own goals for building out protected bike lanes. Noble aspirations notwithstanding, we are still rationing space instead of building it."

Mayor Mamdani appears set to implement a 15 mile per hour speed limit on Central Park Drive, but the core issue is scarcity of cycling infrastructure rather than reckless cyclists. New York City has chronically underinvested compared to global peers, forcing diverse users to share limited facilities and creating inevitable conflict. Lowering speed limits manages scarcity through restriction instead of solving it through investment. The correct response is abundance: build enough high-quality cycling venues in and around Central Park and across the city. The 2024 Central Park Drives Safety and Circulation Study recommends bikeways along transverses and adjoining roads and greater use of park arches such as the Greyshot Arch to relieve congestion.

Read at Streetsblog