GAP Redesign Celebrated but Plaza St. Bike Lane Shelved

Yesterday officials gathered to celebrate the redesign of Grand Army Plaza, a project that was years in the making and has resulted in new pedestrian islands, crosswalks and bicycle connections. DOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan had the following to say: “For too long, Grand Army Plaza has been an 11-acre vicious circle of traffic.” Still, as the Daily News reported, a plan for a bike lane on Plaza Street has been put on hold because of the controversy over the Prospect Park West bike lane. “It was really a matter of the fallout from Prospect Park West and the political pushback there that caused DOT to withdraw the plans,” said Park Slope Neighbors president Eric McClure. Meanwhile, people who fought the Prospect Park West lane saw the decision as a victory: “If we had not done what we’ve been doing with the bike lanes, they probably would have moved ahead,” said Louise Hainline, president of Neighbors for Better Bike Lanes. “Cars now have trouble getting by when someone is dropping off or picking up, and it would have been impossible (with a two-way lane).” The build out of the lane may yet happen, though, according to Streetsblog editor Ben Fried, who tells Gothamist that the lane has a lot of community support and that it “feels similar to what happened to First and Second Avenue. They pushed back the construction timeline in that case, but ultimately followed through.”
You Can Finally Walk to Grand Army Plaza Without Fear [Streetsblog]
City Drops Plan for New Two-Way Bike Lane on Plaza Street [NY Daily News]
DOT Axes Grand Army Plaza Two-Way Bike Lane—For Now [Gothamist]