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Tempers Flare at Hearing over E-Bikes in Central Park

Residents complain that the pilot program—which allowed motorized bikes and scooters but removed pedestrian Walk signals—has turned the Central Park loop road into a dangerous speedway.

| 11 Sep 2025 | 01:01
    Traffic signals that would halt traffic and allow pedestrians to cross safely are wrapped in burlap and inoperable as part of a controversial pilot program that is redesigning the loop road in Central Park.
    Traffic signals that would halt traffic and allow pedestrians to cross safely are wrapped in burlap and inoperable as part of a controversial pilot program that is redesigning the loop road in Central Park. ( Photo: Gail Gregg)
    Even before traffic signals were covered up, it was dangerous for pedestrians to navigate Park crosswalks. Above, a biker runs a red light, while a pedestrian who has the right of way (see white Walk sign) steps into the crosswalk.
    Even before traffic signals were covered up, it was dangerous for pedestrians to navigate Park crosswalks. Above, a biker runs a red light, while a pedestrian who has the right of way (see white Walk sign) steps into the crosswalk. ( Photo: Gail Gregg)
    There is no way to activate pedestrian Walk signs at many intersections in Central Park. A controversial pilot program that redesigned the loop road leaves many of the traffic signals covered in burlap sacks, rendering them inoperable. Flashing yellow lights that are supposed to get e-bikes and pedicabs to slow down are routinely ignored, pedestrian advocates say.
    There is no way to activate pedestrian Walk signs at many intersections in Central Park. A controversial pilot program that redesigned the loop road leaves many of the traffic signals covered in burlap sacks, rendering them inoperable. Flashing yellow lights that are supposed to get e-bikes and pedicabs to slow down are routinely ignored, pedestrian advocates say. ( Photo: Gail Gregg)

It was standing room only as heated exchanges marked the Central Park Police Precinct community council meeting on the subject of e-bikes in the park.

Concerned neighbors of Central Park, victims of bike accidents, horse carriage owners, and pedicab drivers trekked the rickety sidewalks of the 86th Street Transverse to pack the precinct assembly room on Sept. 10 and weigh in on the controversial re-do of the heavily trafficked Central Park loop road.

One big question was whether the “pilot project” was indeed a trial. An Adams administration initiative, the six-month pilot was rolled out quietly in 2024 and then extended until the end of the year. But park users and members of the NY-E-Bike Safety Alliance (NY-EVSA) questioned whether it was in fact a trial, given that the entire loop road has been redone at a cost of nearly $3.5 million.

Tempers flared as community members’ questions about the new plan were deflected among police officials, Central Park Conservancy officials, and Parks Department and Department of Transportation employees.

“It’s the Wild West now, a free-for-all,” complained Marissa, a 70-year-old community member. Bonnie Gerard, an Upper East Side resident, handed out fliers detailing the day a biker knocked her down on a sidewalk, altering her life forever. One after another, attendees weighed in about their fears for pedestrian safety.

Of particular concern was the problem of crossing the loop road, now swarming with fast-moving pedal bikers and motorized e-bikes, e-scooters and even e-unicycles. Pedestrian crosswalk signals have been removed, so that pedestrians endure long waits until traffic allows them to dash across into the heart of the park. Blinking yellow lights greet bikers at every crosswalk, but do little to stop them from pedaling straight through, even in the presence of pedestrians.

Another concern is that, in contradiction of a federal court order requiring accessible pedestrian (audio/visual) crosswalk signals, these signals have been wrapped in burlap and decommissioned at every loop-road crossing in the park. “What’s up with the burlap?” hollered one meeting participant.

“This is still a work in progress,” responded Erika Sopha, vice president for park use and stewardship, a Conservancy planner who oversaw the planning process.

One after one, attendees questioned why city residents weren’t brought into the process. Central Park Conservancy, DOT, and Parks Department officials pointed to focus groups, meetings with community board members and online surveys as evidence that New Yorkers had indeed been included. But attendees complained that these efforts weren’t widely shared with the public.

There were calls for the resignations of Central Park Conservancy president and CEO Elizabeth Smith and David Saltonstall, the Conservancy’s vice president for government relations, policy, and community affairs.

Smith has drawn the ire of NY-EVSA because of her refusal to call for a ban on e-bikes in the park, claiming that she can’t weigh in on city policy. But she recently called for a ban on horse carriages—leaving pedestrian safety advocates to wonder why she can’t do the same for e-bikes. When NY-EVSA president Janet Schroeder pressed Saltonstall for a meeting with Park officials, he replied that he doubted a meeting would be “productive.”

“Is this meeting going to have any effect on this plan?” called out a community member. “Or is it just for show?”

Another topic on the table was news that the pedestrian sidewalks along the 86th Street Transverse may soon be converted to bike lanes, leaving pedestrians between 96th and 79th streets without a way to safely cross the park at night.

Bringing down the house was Christina Hanson, a longtime carriage driver. “We know more about the park than anybody,” she said. “And this plan, which might look good on a desk, simply is not working. Nobody stops for pedestrians.”

“This plan, which might look good on a desk, simply is not working. Nobody stops for pedestrians.” — horse carriage driver Christina Hanson