Two Lanes for Two-Wheelers on Prospect Park West
The reduced car access to Prospect Park isn’t the only bike-friendly change in the works for the Park Slope area: The Department of Transportation showed off a plan for a two-way bike path along Prospect Park West at a Community Board 6 meeting on Thursday night, reports The Brooklyn Paper. The move would eliminate one…
The reduced car access to Prospect Park isn’t the only bike-friendly change in the works for the Park Slope area: The Department of Transportation showed off a plan for a two-way bike path along Prospect Park West at a Community Board 6 meeting on Thursday night, reports The Brooklyn Paper. The move would eliminate one lane of car traffic, something that advocates claim would have ancillary safety benefits. “Prospect Park West needs traffic calming, and it needs to be more accommodating to all users,” said Joshua Benson, DOT’s bike program coordinator; only a few parking spaces would be lost. Unlike the traffic reduction measure for the park that is being vociferously opposed by Community Board 7, the bike lane proposal has the support of both CB6 and Transportation Alternatives. “It’s a pretty good package,” said TA’s Wiley Norvell. You get safer access to the park — and the chance to put in an innovative bike lane in one of the densest cycling communities in the city.
City Rolls Out Two-Way Bike Lane on PPW [Brooklyn Paper]
The DOT’s proposed PPW bike lane is indeed an excellent idea. The dedicated and buffered bike lanes they’ve installed in Manhattan work really well.
I believe TA also recently proposed expanding the bike and pedestrian lanes in PP, and limiting cars to a single lane, which I think is also an excellent idea… but I would feel a lot safer, and be sufficiently happy, if the police would simply enforce the park’s posted 25 mph speed limit.
By the way, most streets could probably lose one of their sidewalks and we could get another lane for cars!
Thanks tybur6. I drive mainly on weekends now but I used to commute by car from Manhattan to CT every weekday for a few years and apart from coming back in on Friday evenings I had few problems.
Etson… “Building lots of bike lanes and worsening gridlock” — the latter doesn’t follow from the former.
“… will make things worse for drivers, pedestrians and bus riders.” Why?!
Also, NYC keep growing… and growing… and growing… It’s not a matter of if you like it as it is. It’s not going to stay that way!! Manhattan is DEFINITELY not drivable. It is always at capacity if not far exceeding drivable levels. usually gridlock or close to it. Hopefully you were referring to Brooklyn or Queens.
Adding alternative forms of transportation does not necessarily constrict driving. it may actually alleviate the congestion.
Also, you may not want to live somewhere more continentally european — that’s fine — but Europe also has great examples of how the deal with balancing huge density with livability. Brooklyn and NYC, in general, is quickly showing it’s true colors here… it’s packed to the gills and there hasn’t been any real change in transportation infrastructure for decades.
I agree with The What on this one. I like the fact that NYC is fairly drivable for a major city.
I did not grow up here but I like NYC for what it is and have no desire to live somewhere more Continental European.
Building lots of bike lanes and worsening gridlock will make things worse for drivers, pedestrians and bus riders.
The What… People walk in 20 degree weather, right? Or does everyone start driving after Nov 1st?
There are these AMAZING inventions called clothes!
Also, according to NOAA, New York City has around 78 days per year that are below freezing, i.e., 32 degrees. That leaves 287 days that is it above freezing…. and far more than half the year, the temperature is above 50 degrees!
I suppose it would also be crazy to ride a bike if it’s raining right? What about a little wind? Luckily everyone has a car and there’s nothing wrong limiting the transportation options for a city of 8 or 9 million people. We’re lucky!
Despite my opposition to the proposed reduced car access to Prospect Park, I think THIS is an excellent idea.
“Umm… I shouldn’t engage… but YES, people ride bike YEAR ROUND, and if there are more dedicated bike paths, it becomes a safer enterprise.”
Umm… I shouldn’t engage… but YES, Assheads are retarded! You are saying someone rides their bike in 20 degree weather or when it’s snowing????!!!! I will be happy for 2 things Bloomberg failing for reelection and the collapse of our financial system so this crap does not happen!
The What
Someday this war is gonna end…
Wouldn’t it be interesting if people were made the priority instead of cars, tyburg6? I mean for all the carrying on about cars and traffic, the fact that a park would not get built because of concern for cars is a pretty sad commentary. I guess the neighborhood association had a lot of drivers.