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The New York City Department of Transportation plans to lower the speed limit throughout Central Park from 20 miles per hour to 15 mph for all users, including cyclists and essential vehicles, officials have announced.
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The change is expected to take effect in late February, following a mandatory 60-day notification period that is already underway. Once the notice period ends, the DOT will replace existing 20 mph signage around the park with new 15 mph signs.The speed reduction is being implemented under the authority of Sammy’s Law, which was signed into law by Governor Kathy Hochul in May. The law allows the DOT to set speed limits on individual streets as low as 10 mph based on roadway design and safety considerations. It is named for 12-year-old Sammy Cohen Eckstein, who was killed by a driver near his Brooklyn home in 2013.
City officials say the slower speed limit is part of a broader effort to make Central Park safer and more welcoming for all visitors.
“This new 15-mile-per-hour speed limit for vehicles and cyclists in Central Park moves us closer to our vision of a more people-centered park,” Mayor Eric Adams said in a statement. “Making the Lungs of New York City more welcoming and establishing clear rules of the road enhances quality of life.”
Private car traffic has been banned on Central Park drives since 2018, but the loop remains heavily used by cyclists, runners, pedestrians, horse-drawn carriages, and city vehicles. Road cyclists in particular have long used the park as a destination for high-speed training, with lightweight bikes capable of cruising at or near the current 20 mph limit.
The speed change will apply to pedal-powered bicycles as well as official city vehicles operating within the park. A citywide 15 mph speed limit specifically for e-bikes and e-scooters went into effect in October.
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The new speed limit also aligns with an ongoing redesign of Central Park’s drives, which began earlier this year. The first phase of the redesign launched in March, covering West Drive from 96th Street to East Drive at 90th Street. A redesign of the northern section of the park loop is scheduled for next year.According to the DOT, the redesign includes redrawn lanes to better define space for pedestrians and cyclists, along with the introduction of a “flex lane” intended for faster cyclists and essential vehicles.
Transportation officials say the combined changes are aimed at improving safety and reducing conflicts between park users as Central Park continues to see heavy daily traffic from New Yorkers and visitors alike.
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