Ken Coughlin, Leading Car-Free Park Activist, Suffers Heart Attack

Ken Coughlin, occasional Streetsblog contributor, long-time coordinator of Transportation Alternatives’ Car-Free Central Park campaign and all-around mensch suffered a heart attack on Saturday. T.A. board member Jeff Prant and executive director Paul Steely White visited Ken at St. Lukes Roosevelt on the Upper West Side on Sunday. They say he’s in relatively good spirits and will undergo triple bypass surgery tomorrow.

Over the last ten years or so, Coughlin has personally overseen the collection of more than 100,000 signatures in support of a car-free Central Park. When I spoke with Ken a few weeks ago he was optimistic that we would see a three-month car-free trial in Central Park this summer. But with Memorial Day approaching, there has been no word from DOT, Parks or City Hall as to whether that will be the case.

Here at Streetsblog we’re thinking of him, wishing him luck and looking forward to seeing him back out in the park this summer (hopefully not collecting signatures).

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