A notoriously dangerous Central Park thoroughfare for pedestrians and joggers has become even more treacherous — after a redesign that was supposed to make it safer, locals say.
The revamped 6-mile loop debuted in June with just a single two-way lane for pedestrians while creating two new one-way lanes for slow and fast-moving bikes — amid fewer walk signals, confusing new signage and still-ignored cyclist traffic lights, critics claim.
“Crossing any street in Central Park is like running the gauntlet, the lights don’t matter,” park-goer Lester Gottesman griped to The Post along West Drive at the southern end of the park.
E-bikes, pedicabs and horse carriages compete for space on a chaotic redesigned drive in Central Park. Stephen Yang for the New York Post
Multiple people assist an older woman who fell off her bike in a crosswalk in the park. NY E-Vehicle Safety Alliance
The button for the crosswalk is covered at an intersection on the southeastern side of Central Park. Robert Miller“Occasionally, pedal bikes will stop, or horse and buggies will stop, [but] e-bikes, forget it,” the 73-year-old surgeon said.
“They shouldn’t be allowed: I’ve taken care of enough people run over by e-bikes.”
The stretch previously had one walking lane, a bike lane and one or two vehicle paths depending on the point along the drive.
A city Transportation Department rep insisted to The Post, “The Central Park Drives redesign is an ongoing project to reimagine the park loop as a more functional and accessible public space for New Yorkers and visitors.
“Shaped by a study and public feedback, the project emphasizes safety by expanding designated space for pedestrians and cyclists with clearer separation between those areas to reduce conflicts.”
But a recent visit from The Post to the area witnessed multiple near-accidents between pedestrians and zipping cyclists swerving between lanes.
A woman sustained a skull injury Friday during an e-scooter accident, critics said. NY E-Vehicle Safety Alliance
A road in Central Park with horse carriages, bikers and joggers. Stephen Yang for the New York PostHorse carriage operator and union spokesperson Christina Hansen described a “highway” scene of deliveristas racing north from Midtown during lunch and dinnertime.
But City Hall slammed Hansen’s remarks as “shameful” and blasted the union for “scapegoating another workforce — including their own members — to distract from video evidence of high-profile, dangerous horse-carriage accidents.
“This redesign of the Central Park Drive will bring more order to the beloved loop for pedestrians and cyclists, but the [union] would rather you turn the other cheek as horse carriages dangerously run rampant,” a City Hall rep added.
Since June, 25 crashes have been reported in the park, according to CrashMapper, including an incident that claimed the life of an e-bike rider when he hit a pedestrian.
By comparison, 12 crashes were reported during the same time period in 2024 without any fatalities.
“No one stops here: Even with the walk signal, the bikes don’t stop,” said a park-goer who only identified himself as Tom.
“The bikes think they own the park.”
A cyclist zooms across the redesign’s pedestrian island. Stephen Yang for the New York Post
A harnessed carriage horse stands on a road in Central Park as a person on an electric bike passes by. Stephen Yang for the New York Post
Pedestrians and dogs cross the road in Central Park. Robert MillerThe redesign was undertaken after a study from the Central Park Conservancy published last fall. Its resulting plan aimed to “prioritize pedestrian safety while also better accommodating cyclists and legal e-mobility options.”
A conservancy rep said, “Everyone should feel safe walking, jogging or riding in the park.
“We share profound concerns related to high speeds on the Drives — especially by e-scooters, e-bikes and non-electric racing bikes,” adding that NYPD is responsible for enforcing the drive’s 20-mph speed limit.
But Hansen, who works in the park, said police are scarce across its 843 acres (1.3 square miles) — and that the redesign has been such a pain in the neck that her horse carriage union thinks it was done on purpose to drive the buggies out.
The revamped stretch has become even more dangerous, locals say. Stephen Yang for the New York Post
A conservancy rep said, “Everyone should feel safe walking, jogging or riding in the park. Stephen Yang for the New York Post
Horse-drawn carriages in Central Park have to compete with bicyclists, e-bike riders, runners and pedestrians. Stephen Yang for the New York Post“Collisions have increased, I’ve seen lots of near-misses that I didn’t see before,” she said. “People have already gotten hurt. … And ambulances, police vehicles and garbage trucks can’t get around.”
The unpopular redesign is not only dangerous but unlawful, according to New York E-Vehicle Safety Alliance president Janet Schroeder.
“What they’re doing is against all [Americans with Disabilities Act] regulations,” Schroeder said of the removal of pedestrian walk signals in the park, especially for those who are low-vision or blind. “It’s very ageist and ableist.
A pedestrian crossing sign was covered during the Central Park drive redesign this past summer. Robert Miller
People running with party hats in Central Park. NY E-Vehicle Safety Alliance“Older people with disabilities, where can they go for walks anymore?”
A DOT rep said the redesign is an ongoing project and that the agency is actively monitoring the project and will make adjustments as needed.
But Schroeder said that in the meantime, the speeding problem is only getting worse while elderly and disabled parkgoers are driven out of the green space in fear.
“It does not solve e-bikes on pedestrian walkways or solve the problem of speeding,” she said of the revamp. “It doesn’t solve any of the issues we had in the park.”
