New York City’s former mayor, Eric Adams, personally directed city officials too reopen a park roadway on Staten Island to vehicle traffic last year, according to internal communications. The decision, made despite objections from advocates, raises questions about mayoral influence on local transportation policy.
Adams Intervened to Restore Car Access to staten Island Park
The former mayor’s directive prioritized vehicle access over pedestrian safety and recreational space, according to released emails.
Last spring,following a direct order from then-Mayor Adams,city officials worked quickly to reopen the gates to Silver Lake Park Road,according to emails released in response to a Freedom of Details Law request filed by safe streets advocates. “Parks will be moving forward with opening silver Lake Park Road to motor vehicles at the mayor’s directive,†department of Transportation Deputy Borough Commissioner Victoria Carstensen wrote in an email to her Parks Department colleagues on April 24.
Q: Why did Eric Adams order the reopening of Silver Lake Park Road?
A: The former mayor’s motivation remains unclear, but the decision followed lobbying from Staten Island politicians who argued the road was needed for convenient access for drivers, despite the road being car-free as the start of the pandemic and used for recreation.
The intervention followed weeks after conservative Staten Island politicians held a press conference calling for the city to restore vehicle access. they argued that drivers had been unfairly restricted from using the roadway, which had become a popular space for pedestrians and cyclists since the onset of the pandemic.Officials were reportedly compelled to act within a single day to satisfy the mayor and his supporters.
“This is an incredibly tight timeline, but since this came from the mayor, I’m hoping that we will be able to assist,†Carstensen continued in the email, offering no explanation for the urgency or the mayor’s personal interest in the matter.
The roughly three-quarter-mile stretch of Silver Lake Park road between Victory boulevard and Forest Avenue had become a haven for Staten Islanders seeking outdoor space during the pandemic, advocates say.
Advocates had attempted to halt the move,arguing that the roadway had transformed into a valuable recreational area. They contended that the political pressure stemmed from drivers seeking a minor shortcut through the park. Supporters of keeping the road closed expressed outrage at the revelation of the mayor’s direct involvement.
“It shows how unprepared both Parks and DOT was for this,†said Rose Uscianowski, a Staten Island organizer with Transportation Alternatives. “If you’re rolling out a major policy change in a major park in Staten Island then you would think there would be at least some kind of collaboration.â€
Staten Island politicians, including District Attorney Mike McMahon, council Member Kamillah Hanks, and Borough President Vito Fossella, began advocating for vehicle access in March 2025. Their push followed an attempted rape of a 53-year-old woman jogging in the park in early April.The politicians argued, without evidence, that the park had become less safe due to the absence of cars.
This claim contradicted data showing that less then 2 percent of reported rapes in the borough occurred in parks. meanwhile, Staten Island residents experience high rates of traffic violence, with 4,611 reported crashes in 2025 resulting in 2,463 injuries—nearly seven per day—including 1,936 vehicle occupants, 398 pedestrians, and 99 cyclists.
NYPD data indicates 27 reported crash injuries on Silver Lake Park Road between 2012 and 2020, and two reported crashes injuring five people last year at the intersection with Victory Boulevard, though it is unclear if these occurred within the park itself.
Since vehicles were allowed back, Uscianowski said the road and surrounding park area have become more deserted, no longer a safe haven from traffic. “That used to be a space that a lot of people took advantage of, and not only are people losing space, the park itself is much more desolate,†she said. “People started to change their habits and it’s just not so much a space for the community anymore.â€
A similar situation unfolded in Queens later last year, where conservative lawmakers and community groups successfully lobbied the city to restore vehicle access to Freedom Drive inside Forest Park for the first time in five years, a decision approved in the final days of the Adams administration. The city has since installed a digital sign at the entrance to Freedom Drive… in the middle of the sidewalk.
A coalition of open space advocates recently asked Mayor Mamdani in a letter to reverse these policies enacted by his predecessor. Uscianowski urged the current mayor to halt the growing trend. “Now that this has become a trend, it gives even more pressure on Mayor Mamdani to stop this, not just for Silver lake Park, but for parks around the city,†she said.
A spokesperson for Mayor Mamdani previously stated that the new mayor would make a decision “once we have enough data to do so.†When pressed by a reporter on Wednesday, Mamdani said he would look into the matter. “I think that I want to take very seriously both the request from Staten Islanders themselves, and also give you an answer that I can hold myself to,†Mamdani said.
A spokesperson for adams declined to comment, stating that the former mayor is traveling for the next two to three weeks. “he’s out of government right now, so he’s not talking about city issues,†Todd shapiro told reporters.
