Car-free Central Park Rally

[intro music]

Speaker: [00:02] 100,000 strong car-free.

Speaker: [00:06] It should be only for people.

[music]

Scott Stringer: [00:15] Whether you live near Central Park or the business district, everybody agrees, 100,000 strong, that it’s time to do the experiment. It’s time for a car-free Central Park. Don’t be afraid of a new idea, embrace it.

All: [00:28] Car-free Central Park. Car-free Central Park.

John Liu: [00:32] And for goodness sake, at least for three months out of the year, let’s keep the cars out of Central Park.

Speaker: [00:37] Since we can’t bring the rally to the Park, we need to bring the Park to the rally. Cars out.

Paul Steely White: [00:43] Car-free…

All: [00:45] Central Park.

Paul Steely White: [00:46] Car-free…

All: [00:47] Central Park.

Betsy Gotbaum: [00:48] New York suffers so much pollution, congestion and too much traffic, and the one place that people can go in Manhattan really for complete clean air at all times of the day and night is Central Park if we get rid of the cars.

Speaker: [01:04] Yeah man, just, please, help yourself and all of New Yorkers. Let’s have a place where cars do not go. Please make the parks car-free.

Paul Steely White: [01:17] The crown jewel of New York. The most famous park of New York, and the world. For three hours in the morning and again for four hours in the afternoon, the solitude, refuge, and really liveability of Central Park is severely compromised by thundering traffic. So we’re here today to ask the City of New York and Mayor Bloomberg for a car-free Central Park at least for this summer.

All: [01:44] Car-free Central Park. Car-free Central Park. Car-free Central Park. Car-free Central Park.

Speaker: [01:51] There’s so many people who have no place to play in this city. Cars threaten everybody in the park and it’s… it’s really high time that they’re out of the park entirely, but I’m very much in favour of this three month experiment to make sure it all starts happening and stays permanent.

Speaker: [02:05] We’re going to show our support for a car-free Central Park and more space for kids and people and bicycles and inline skates and fun and games and…

Speaker: [02:14] And everything.

Speaker: [02:15] And everything.

Speaker: [02:16] Public health being such a concern of the city, diabetes, asthma, people are… these are much more visible issues in the news now than they’ve been and they all relate to the air quality and the fact of ability to recreate safely in the park.

Scott Stringer: [02:32] What a great opportunity for us now to call on the City Administration to recognise that Central Park is an oasis, it’s a place where people go for refuge, to get away from cars and traffic and everyday living. This is a place for peace and quiet and enjoyment.

John Liu: [02:48] And as study after study has shown opening up the roads within Central Park does not actually alleviate any congestion, and in fact may actually contribute to congestion at key points in Manhattan. And so while it’s not providing any benefit transportation wise, it is taking away an important New York City asset to hundreds of thousands of people who live in New York City and come to New York City to enjoy the wonderful parks that we have, including Central Park.

Gail Brewer: [03:18] I have been with Transportation Alternatives at several rallies in Central Park. This is a group that understands there’s a long term process and I think that it’s just… it’s for all of our health is to fight obesity, is to be part of a city that has so little green. We look forward to a resolution coming before the City Council, which I’m one of the prime sponsors of to say no cars in Central Park.

Speaker: [03:48] Transportation Alternatives is leading a fight that needs to be fought and we appreciate it.

All: [03:53] Kids, not cars. Kids, not cars. Kids, not cars. Kids, not cars. Kids, not cars. Kids, not cars. Kids, not cars. Kids, not cars.

Speaker: [04:06] Got to get the cars out of the parks. So what more can I say?

[music]

Coyote: [04:18] Car-free Central Park.

[music]