Central Park trail becomes central parking lot for NYC workers, official cars

It’s a Central Park-ing lot!

A recreational trail in Central Park meant for joggers and horseback riders has been taken over by city workers using it as a parking lot — with and without official government placards.

The 4.2-mile Central Park Bridle Path – which doesn’t even allow bicycles – has been full of city-owned cars such as police cruisers and private vehicles driven by municipal workers, locals said.

“It started out with a very small amount of cars,” 60-year Manhattan resident Tamara told The Post. “Every year, it gets bigger and bigger and bigger, and now it feels like a parking lot.”

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“It doesn’t feel like a … walking path anymore,” Tamara added. “It takes away from the ambience.”

City Council member Gale Brewer, who represents the Upper West Side, said the issue showed there are “no consequences for bad behavior.”

“It’s a reflection, to me, of the city’s lack of enforcement of the laws,” Brewer said.

“They need to find parking on the street, parking in a garage: They should not be in the park,” she added.

The Bridle Path is located less than 20 blocks from the congestion pricing zone below 60th Street, where passenger vehicles are tolled $9 during peak hours.

A survey from Brewer’s office last month found 88 vehicles parked along the path over the course of a week. Those vehicles included 24 NYPD patrol cars — with more that appeared to be arriving — plus five Parks vehicles and a whopping 59 unmarked or private vehicles.

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“The [Central Park] Precinct Commander is aware and is looking into it,” an NYPD rep told The Post, noting the precinct has only two unmarked cars in its fleet.

Joggers have complained to Brewer’s office that the parked cars pose a danger by offering would-be criminals a hiding spot in the greenspace.

Others argue the lot is causing unnecessary wear and tear on the trail’s soft dirt and gravel surface.

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Some locals have complained about the cars traveling at “high speeds.”

“I don’t love it because obviously they drive through, and I have to move to the side with my stroller,” said 14-year uptown resident Mary O’Shea. “Sometimes I have both my kids, so it can be a lot to maneuver.”

The path has become so clogged in recent months that Brewer blasted the NYPD and Parks department in an Oct. 1 letter demanding an interagency meeting “so that the number of vehicles on the bridle path is limited and adequate park space is ensured for all users.”

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A Parks rep told The Post that the agency’s vehicles should only operate on park paths, closed roads or use areas when absolutely necessary to perform work, and that the department is investigating the matter.

“We recognize the need to make our parks welcoming and accessible to all users,” the rep said. “As always, our goal will continue to be to make sure New Yorkers and visitors can enjoy our parks safely.”

A Post reporter counted about 30 cars – most with placards – parked near a sign that reads “Authorized Vehicles Only” during a Tuesday afternoon visit.

The issue comes just weeks after another council member blasted an illegal parking epidemic in downtown Brooklyn.

But not all Central Park users appeared perturbed by the parking issue, with some even embracing the additional patrol units nearby.

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“It’s a little odd, but I think it’s just an added police presence,” said Upper West Side resident Adam Siegel. 

“It’s a path that a lot of people walk on, so it’s odd to just have a section of it surrounded by cars – but there aren’t too many alternatives,” the 29-year-old added.