Ducat Media for the Museum of the City of New York.

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Biking in the Parks

In 1966, in his first year in City Hall, Mayor Lindsay and his first parks commissioner, Thomas P. F. Hoving, took a step that was considered radical—closing Central Park’s roadways to traffic on the weekends. The predictions of traffic disasters, including those from the traffic commissioner, Henry Barnes, were ominous, but the program was praised by environmentalists.

The closings were part of a broader New York City Parks Department policy that aimed to inspire New Yorkers to use their parks more often and in more ways than they had in previous years, with events that included concerts and various “happenings.” However, this strategy placed escalated demands for park maintenance that challenged the city’s budget and left the parks dirtier and more deteriorated.