Transportation Alternatives spearheaded a decades-long campaign to reclaim Central Park's loop road for cyclists, runners, walkers, and other recreational users over those who wish to drive motor vehicles around the park rather than adjacent city streets.  Recent years have built on a series of steps successively restricting autos (except emergency and Parks vehicles) from the 24-hour access they once enjoyed.  The success of this ongoing campaign has been realized in stages, first by whittling away a few hours of the day and designating them car-free hours, then expanding those times.  Today, Central Park is auto-free every weekend day and holiday, and for twenty hours on weekdays (with the exception of the northbound loop road between 59th and 72nd Streets).  This does not affect auto traffic on the three subgrade crosstown transverses.

Certain park entrances have also been permanently closed to vehicles, making auto access more unlikely even during hours cars are permitted in the park.   Today, eight entrances and one exit to the park have been closed to auto traffic, although all are still maintained for pedestrians and cyclists (with the exception of the pedestrian-only mall at Columbus Circle).

Work continues by TA's Car-Free Central Park Committee to win a trial car-free summer, and to institute Friday "holiday hours" on the loop road.[1]