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Prospect Park will be car-free at all times, Mayor de Blasio says

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Though known for its skyscrapers, New York’s green spaces are pretty spectacular. Even if you’ve picnicked in Central Park or gone jogging in Prospect Park, there’s always a new corner to explore. Check out the High Line or take a tour of Van Cortlandt Park. You really can’t go wrong with any of the nature escapes the city has to offer.

Photo Credit: Jeff Bachner
Though known for its skyscrapers, New York’s green spaces are pretty spectacular. Even if you’ve picnicked in Central Park or gone jogging in Prospect Park, there’s always a new corner to explore. Check out the High Line or take a tour of Van Cortlandt Park. You really can’t go wrong with any of the nature escapes the city has to offer.

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Though known for its skyscrapers, New York’s green spaces are pretty spectacular. Even if you’ve picnicked in Central Park or gone jogging in Prospect Park, there’s always a new corner to explore. Check out the High Line or take a tour of Van Cortlandt Park. You really can’t go wrong with any of the nature escapes the city has to offer.

Photo Credit: Getty Images / Drew Angerer

Prospect Park will be permanently car-free, the mayor announced Monday.

Vehicles won’t be allowed along the entire loop of the park beginning Jan. 2, Mayor Bill de Blasio said in a statement.

The park recently reopened to cars during morning rush hours, following a car-free pilot program over the summer that had support from local politicians and community members.

A preliminary analysis of the car-free trial shows that closing the park to traffic did not add significant delays to alternative driving routes, the mayor’s office said.

Additionally, the city received petitions with more than 1,100 signatures calling for a return to a car-free park at all times.

“Restoring Prospect Park as a car-free oasis will improve the lives of the millions who use this park today and of generations to come,” de Blasio said in a statement.

The Department of Transportation estimates that people running, walking or riding bikes outnumber cars during morning rush hours by 1,000 to 300, the mayor’s office said.