Dana Rubenstein is reporting for Politico New York for the first time since the appearance of the automobile, private vehicles will be banned from Central Park, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio announced April 20. “The idea of thinking about every aspect of our lives and finding ways to make that change, that’s what this is all about,” said de Blasio. “And this is such a powerful notion, to take this absolutely crucial piece of our city and liberate it from the automobile.” Beginning June 27, all of Central Park , but for the crosstown transverses, will be closed to traffic. Officials said they expected the streets surrounding the park to have no problem accommodating the extra traffic. In January, cars were banned from Prospect Park in Brooklyn. Read the full story at Politico New York.