There used to be roadways going through Washington Square Park. Valuable lessons arise from examining the community organizing used to remove the cars and the traffic consequences of that change.
The traffic impact of the collapse and repair of the West Side Highway also has bearing on the efforts to remove cars from Central Park.
Debating why and how to open Central Park by closing the loop road to cars.
People have been calling for Central Park to be Auto-Free as early as 1924.
Check out Transportation Alternatives' Auto Free Central Park Home Page. TA is a grassroots organization working for transportation reform in NYC. I hope you'll get involved.