It's Official: New York's Central Park is Now Car-Free

Tuesday, June 26, 7:00 p.m., as the last car drove through Manhattan park, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio turned mildly pensive, and looked to the evolution of New York's Central Park over the years.

"For more than a century, we had turned parts of the world's most iconic park into a highway--and starting tonight, we have officially taken it back for good," he said. "This park was not built for automobiles. It was built before there were automobiles."

Wednesday, June 27, marks the official trial-run of the car ban in nearly all areas, which includes Terrace, Center, West, and East drives. However, there are still some parts where cars are allowed, which are the cross-town transverses at 97th, 86th, 79th and 65th Streets.

This move to ban all cars is the culmination of a 50-year fight for a car-free Central Park, which dates back to former mayor Ed Koch and NYC Greenmarket founder Barry Benepe. It's a historic victory for those who fought to reclaim the park as a natural sanctuary that's clean, safe and free of vehicles.

Parks Commissioner Mitchell Silver explained: "Central Park is not just one of New York's favorite parks, it's one of the most-beloved, most-recognized parks in the entire world."

"Now, we're making history by demonstrating just how clean, accessible and safe an urban park can be," he added.

The urban park, which is located in Manhattan, New York City, is one of the most visited  parks in the United States. It's the fifth biggest park in New York City, spanning 843 acres (341 hectares) of natural beauty and beautiful landscapes in the city. In 1963, it was designated a National Historic Landmark by the U.S. Department of Interior, and in 2017, was placed on the tentative list for UNESCO's World Heritage Sites.