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New Yorkers for Parks, Open Space Advocates, Richmond Hill Residents Launch “Car-Free Parks for NYC” Petition at Forest Park Rally
RICHMOND HILL, QUEENS — New Yorkers for Parks (NY4P) joined longtime Richmond Hill residents, school leaders, students, parents, seniors, and open space advocates on Friday to rally in Forest Park and call for a permanently car-free Freedom Drive. The demonstration followed recent Adams administration decisions to reopen major park roads to vehicular traffic for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic — a move advocates say threatens public safety, undermines access to open space, and reverses years of progress toward safer, healthier parks.
Gathering outside P.S. 66, over 75 participants marched two blocks to Giovanelli Playground in a show of solidarity for a safer, greener Freedom Drive that prioritizes pedestrians and cyclists of all ages and abilities. The rally uplifted parallel community demands to keep Silver Lake Park Road in Staten Island car-free and marked the launch of a new petition, Car-Free Parks for NYC, underscoring a growing, borough-spanning coalition committed to equitable access to car-free park spaces citywide.
Car-free parks antagonist Council Member Joann Ariola confronted residents and advocates mid-rally by driving along the no-longer-protected community thoroughfare. Video footage shows Ariola waiting to make way through a crowd chanting “car free Freedom Drive.” Publicly available data gleaned during the encounter from HowsMyDrivingNY, which queries NYC’s Open Data for traffic violations by license plate, shows the Council Member has 35 speeding violations in School Zones — as notable a testament as any to the urgency behind the community’s call to keep the road closed to traffic.
“Freedom Drive has become a vital, everyday extension of the neighborhood — a place where kids walk safely to school, seniors exercise, and families gather without fear of traffic,” said Kathy Park Price, Director of Policy & Advocacy, New Yorkers for Parks. “Reopening park roads to cars puts New Yorkers at risk and sends the wrong message about whose safety matters. This rally reflects a broader movement across the boroughs to ensure that car-free parks aren’t temporary privileges, but permanent, equitable public spaces for all.”
In a recent letter, NY4P joined more than two dozen community organizations in urging Mayor Mamdani, NYC Parks, and the NYC Department of Transportation to reverse course and align city policy with the Mayor’s stated goal of making New York’s streetscapes the “envy of the world.” Advocates emphasized that decisions affecting park access and safety must be grounded in community needs — particularly in neighborhoods where green space is already scarce.
"When New York City parks put people first, our communities benefit. Since Transportation Alternatives successfully advocated to remove cars from Central Park and Prospect Park, our parks have become safer, more vibrant spaces for all New Yorkers. Keeping Freedom Drive car-free between Myrtle Avenue and Park Lane South has created a safe, welcoming space for school communities, children, and neighbors in Forest Hills," said Mae Francke, Queens Organizer at Transportation Alternatives. "Allowing cars reverses that progress, prioritizes through-traffic over Queens families, and undermines community safety. We oppose cars in Forest Hill Park and every other park in New York City — parks are for people,” said Ben Furnas, Executive Director of Transportation Alternatives.
"Closing Freedom Drive to cars in 2020 showed us that this corridor works best as a safe, accessible connector within Forest Park, linking the athletic fields to the rest of the park without forcing people into traffic. Our neighborhood is home to older adults, children, and new families, and everyone deserves a park experience that is safe and accessible year-round,” said Hillary Dvorkin, local parent.
“As a resident and car driver in Richmond Hill, it is obvious that Freedom Drive should be a free, open space for pedestrians, cyclists, runners, and families. It is a crucial artery that connects the people of Richmond Hill to Forest Park. Allowing cars back on Freedom Drive suffocates the community. It restricts our access to Forest Park, introduces a danger to the community, and ignores what residents have made clear and what we are unfortunately still fighting for: Parks are for the people and the community, not for cars,” said Andy Smith, community organizer, Safer Streets Richmond Hill.
"I'm old enough to remember being called a 'zealot' by a city Parks Commissioner for urging a car-free Central Park in the 1990s. But who now calls for heavy commuter traffic to be returned to the very heavily used loop drives in Central or Prospect Parks, Shore Boulevard in Astoria Park, or to any other of our incredibly popular car-free spaces?" said Jon Orcutt, a former City transportation official.
“Freedom Drive by Forest Park has been one of the few truly car-free spaces in Queens/NYC where families, seniors, students, and neighbors — many from communities of color — can safely walk, run, bike, and gather without fear of traffic. Reopening this road to cars threatens public safety and undermines equitable access to open space in a borough that already has fewer car-free amenities than much of the city. We urge the Mayor to reverse this decision and commit to keeping Freedom Drive permanently car-free,” said Kevin Montalvo, Founder Queens Distance Runners.
"We've seen that putting cars into protected open spaces makes them accessible for people with disabilities, and at Silver Lake Park speeding cars and buses have all but driven cyclists and children out of the park road on weekdays," said Justin Wood, Director of Policy at New York Lawyers for the Public Interest. "The Mayor and NYC Parks can easily reverse these hasty decisions and give precious space back to park users across the city."
Today’s rally builds on a growing citywide push to protect the gains made during the pandemic, when car-free park drives proved their value as safe, inclusive, and widely used public spaces. NY4P and its partners say the future of New York City’s parks must prioritize people over cars — not just in Queens or Staten Island, but in every borough.
About New Yorkers for Parks
New Yorkers for Parks (NY4P) is the citywide independent organization championing quality parks and open spaces for all New Yorkers in all neighborhoods. For over a century, NY4P has led the movement to protect, invest in, and celebrate New York City’s parks.