By Steve Holt
Devotees of the Central Park Reservoir running track may not be jumping for joy just yet. But in a few months, at least they won’t be jumping over puddles. That’s because the Central Park Conservancy is resurfacing all 1.58 miles of the Stephanie and Fred Shuman Running Track, part of a larger effort to keep some of the most popular elements of the park in good working order.
Potholes in the track happen as its soft surface gets wet, especially during the winter cycle of freeze and thaw. Vegetation and other debris also build up along the outside edge of the track. The result: poor drainage, so water sits trapped in the potholes, and runners either must dodge the puddles or splash right through them.
The conservancy periodically regrades the track when there are major shifts in the surface. But it’s just not practical to fill each pothole as it appears, says Gary Gentilucci, the conservancy’s director of landscape management, who is overseeing the revamp with colleague David Turner, the director of construction.
The longer-term remedy, now underway, is to repair or replace the infrastructure of the track (plastic boards) and top it with crushed stone, ranging in size from quarter-inch pebbles to fine dust. To avoid shutting down the track completely, the conservancy is doing the work in five phases, with runners temporarily diverted onto the Bridle Path (which makes a wider loop around the reservoir before heading towards Central Park South), while crews make the repairs. Phase one began just after Thanksgiving and covers the east side of the track north of East 90th Street. The work will then proceed counterclockwise until the entire track has been resurfaced.
How long will all this take? Gentilucci is cautious, pointing out that foul winter weather can delay progress. Nevertheless, he predicts the entire track will be ready to welcome runners by late spring 2024, early summer at the latest.
Of course, avid runners aren’t going to sit home and wait for that to happen. On a recent, post-rain, very puddly morning, an Upper West Sider who gave her name as Kendra was gamely dodging the puddles and the construction. “I run here every day,” said Kendra. “The puddles make it hard to navigate, that’s for sure! It’s difficult because it’s narrow and really congested. A lot of times it’s kind of like a little bit of a maze. It’s hard to keep going and get into a rhythm.”
The Rag asked Gentilucci and Turner if they, too, enjoy running around the reservoir.
Long pause.
Then they both admitted they aren’t runners. But Turner added: “If I was a runner, that’s where I’d run.” Gentilucci agreed.
Subscribe to WSR’s free email newsletter here.
Very nice – except it’s almost impossible to run there except early morning – it’s been taken over by tourists mostly ignoring one way signs walking in large groups – strollers and smokers and dogs – 2 pot smokers last week. Everyone says it’s not their job to police park rules – slowly this oasis is being taken over by tourists who could care less
It is the job of the Conservancy enforcement people, but they don’t do anything (even when they see violations). It is the Conservancy’s unofficial non-enforcement policy that needs to change.
I was on it one afternoon this summer with a friend, going counterclockwise, as you’re supposed to, and of course there were so many people blithely disregarding that rule. Then some guy comes barreling along the track on an e-bike from Citibike, weaving among people, before finally *crashing* into one of a person before zooming off. It’s an utter disgrace. I told my friend I never want to walk there anymore. I’ll only go when I usually do, early morning, for a run. But even then, there’s gotta be some maverick running the wrong way because, hey, rules are for other people.
Nice story, guys. Thanks for posting it.
Having run around the reservoir in all seasons and rested near to the bridle path north of West 90th street, I am fond of both Reservoir track and bridle path and hope the Conservancy will also restore the bridle path to its original condition after the detours have ended.
I remember the track being resurfaced (same deal, in sections, took forever) before Covid. Is this going to happen every 5 years?! I thought the last resurfacing we went through was supposed to be a permanent solution. Something’s amiss here.
I was strolling east on the bridle path near the tennis courts on Sunday, and cut over to the reservoir to walk back. Entry was precisely at a point where the track was closed, and as I approached, I noticed a runner furiously tugging at the thick twine which fastened the heavy barricade to the fence. I stopped to observe this spectacle for a moment, then passed and noticed two young women staring. “What is she doing?” one of them asked. “Trying to remove the barricade,” I said. “Why?” the other asked. “Because she’s an idiot?” I suggested. I stopped and the three of us watched until the barricade was untethered, but it was too heavy for the runner to drag out of the way. She ran on, leaving a tiny opening for others to squeeze by.
This has been a problem at several spots around the reservoir running track for many years now, and one wonders why it’s taken the Central Park Conservancy so long to fix it (again). Also, temporary lighting needs to be provided along the detour area on the bridle path, as it is still very dark early in the morning and the footing on the bridle path is uneven at best.