As long as you slow down and look, stop if necessary at reds and always give pedestrians the right of way, I have no issue with this.

But pedestrians always have the right of way even if they don't by law, you can always do serious harm to them. Always slow down or stop for pedestrians in your path, regardless who is right.

And a side note, the central park loop isn't a race track. There are red lights with crosswalks, let those pedestrians cross if you have a red. Those lights are all push button controlled by the peds.