The CB2 Transportation Committee made its way through an action-packed agenda last night, including a redesign for Lafayette Avenue, a bike corral for Cobble Hill, and streetscape improvements for Park Avenue. The biggest item of the night was Lafayette Avenue, locals have been campaigning to make safer for bicyclists and pedestrians. To address these concerns, DOT has proposed reducing signal timing from 25 mph to 20 mph and installing a shared moving lane. Under this plan, the street would be divided into two nine-foot parking lanes, an 11-foot moving lane, and a 10-foot “shared moving lane” for bicyclists and cars on the lefthand side of the street. A shared lane is used by both motorists and cyclists during peak hours, but a motorist cannot pass a bicyclist in a shared lane… it is much like the configuration on 1st Avenue in Manhattan. Hilda Cohen of Make Lafayette Avenue Safer asked that the DOT make additional enhancements to the bike lane, like color or dotted lines, but overall the organization supported the DOT’s proposal. The Transportation Committee also approved the proposal. Implementation is expected for September.

After the jump, a bike corral for Cobble Hill and more details on the Park Avenue streetscape proposal…

Next on the evening’s agenda: a bike corral for the corner of Court and Pacific streets, much like this one in front of Gorilla Coffee in Park Slope. There will be room for eight bikes, marked by delineators, a parking lane stripe, and one planting. No parking spaces will be lost and it will be maintained by the Atlantic Avenue BID.

The committee also approved Myrtle Avenue Revitalization Project’s (MARP) proposal to overhaul Park Avenue and make it safer for pedestrians. (Previous coverage here.) The proposal included adding parallel parking to the medians, retiming the traffic lights, repaving/restriping, improving lighting, median parking, and intersection treatment. This summer MARP will seek letters of support and present the proposal to DOT. The Department of Transportation’s Chris Hrones said the DOT is interested in the project and there is “a likelihood the DOT will come back to the board with a proposal.” DOT may start the project using resources in house.


What's Your Take? Leave a Comment

  1. Congrats to Make Lafayette Safer. This much-needed link in the bike network will make everyone safer. I predict that very high levels of bike usage along this corridor, once it is improved, will encourage DOT to re-visit and upgrade their bicycle treatment within a few years. But it is a good start.

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