Complete George

Rescind the 15 MPH Limit for Bikes in Central Park. Fix the Real Problem.

In the final days of his term, former Mayor Eric Adams announced that the City would reduce the cycling speed limit on Central Park Drive from 20 mph to 15 mph.

Last week, NY Supreme Court Justice Moyne, responding to Article 78 Proceeding plaintiffs New York Cycle Club and individual cyclists, agreed to issue a temporary restraining order to block enforcement of the new rule citing irreparable harm if cyclists were forced to choose between receiving a criminal summons or riding in traffic.

Why This Matters

Safety in Central Park matters deeply—to pedestrians, runners and cyclists alike. But the new rule does nothing to improve park user safety. Rather, it misapplies state law, disenfranchises cyclists who’ve trained safely in the Park for decades, sets a terrible precedent, and deflects from the real problem.

It is not reckless cyclists. It is scarcity. 

The City’s decision also discounts the significant value of bike riding as a public health intervention. Applying World Health Organization/HEAT tool, shows that continuing to allow cyclist to train in the Park prevents~26 premature deaths annually—or $343 million in economic benefit.

DOT’s own data contradicts the rationale for a 15 mph speed limit

NYCDOT has offered no evidence that lowering the speed limit for bicycles will meaningfully reduce injuries. The 2024 Central Park Drives Safety and Circulation Study, commissioned by the CP Conservancy, and written in part by new DOT Commissioner Mike Flynn, does not recommend reducing cycling speeds. 

In absolute and relative terms, the Park Drive is pretty safe. In January, DOT reported that some 20 pedestrians are injured on the Drive each year.  Central Park attracts some 40 million visitors annually.  20 ÷ 40 million = 0.0000005  

A grading system developed by the Federal Highways Administration to evaluate a shared-use-path-level-of-service (“SUPLOS”) holds that user volume and mode split—not cyclist speed—are key predictors of conflict.

This SUPLOS model projects that most injuries on the Drive are apt to occur in the 10AM-4PM period of peak use—when cyclist speed is less than 12 mph. 

This is compared to 18 mph between 6-8AM, a period when, as DOT concedes, “fewer people are around.” It would appear that the clubs’ practice of self-limiting of group training to off-peak hours beneficially draws down cyclist volume and speed during periods of peak use.

NYCDOT

The CP Study further states that 45% of all Park visitors arrive by bike. So-called “fast” cyclists comprise 13% total.  Yet pedestrians get full access to all 58 miles of Park trails, while cyclists get only shared access to the 6.1 mile Drive.

The CP Drive includes multiple downhill sections that are steep and long enough to induce the gravitational acceleration needed to propel cyclists past 15 mph.

If sustained in Central Park, Adams’ rule sets the terrible precedent that Sammy’s Law, which was created to protect vulnerable road users, could be cited as authority for the City to summarily exclude cyclists from the very facilities they need to bike safely.

Solutions In and Around Central Park

Enforcement: New York State Vehicle & Traffic Law 1151(a) already sanctions individuals who fail to yield pedestrian right-of-way. And VTL 1180(a) targets those who maintain speed not reasonable and prudent. These laws are far better suited to address dangerous behavior than a blanket speed limit that penalizes responsible cyclists.

Education: Since 2012, racing and recreational cycling clubs have counseled members to limit group training to off-peak periods, honoring Frederick Law Olmsted’s vision of reducing competition between classes of users. Yet the Conservancy has never formally acknowledged their contribution to Park user safety. That recognition is long overdue.

Engineering: The Central Park Drives Safety and Circulation Study offers a (largely unimplemented) blueprint for managing conflict.   It’s recommendations include:

• Implement bikeways along CP’s transverses and adjoining roads to draw down use on the Drive while improving east-west mobility for cyclists of all abilities.

• Encourage pedestrian use of the many arches spanning the Drive. The Greyshot Arch provides an alternative to the congested crossing at West 61st Street. 

In addition, the City should issue a request for proposals to grade-separate the crossing by the Delacorte Theater, one of the most chaotic conflict points on the Drive.

Let cyclists use the six-mile Bridle Path, to draw down peak demand on the Drive and address the unequal allocation of resources.  The Bridle Path was purposefully grade-separated from footpaths so equestrians could ride at speed.

Solutions Away from the Park

User conflict in Central Park is the predictable consequence of the City’ chronic underinvestment in cycling infrastructure needed to serve its 800,000 active adult cyclists.

By comparison, Transport for London invested $100 million in its network of cycleways in 2025 alone. Proposed projects to address this disparity include:

Implement the network of arterial connectors long sought by NYC Greenways Coalition.

Designate the so-called Grayways network of recreational bikeways to draw down weekend demand and drive neighborhood tourism.

Increase bike capacity on NYC Ferry on morning outbounds from Manhattan to the robust network of bikeways spanning Bay Ridge and Rockaway.

Resources

Central Park
 
Grayways
 

Neile Weissman heads up Complete George, which was formed in 2013 to advocate for modern bikeways across the George Washington Bridge. We continue to call for laws and infrastructure that support the growth of cycling.