PPW Bike Lanes Reducing Traffic Speed
Park Slope Neighbors conducted a radar gun study along Prospect Park West and found that average speeds on Prospect Park West have been reduced by nearly 25% by the addition of bike lanes. The group, which has been pro-bike lane from the beginning, also reported that the number of cars traveling more than 40 mph…
Park Slope Neighbors conducted a radar gun study along Prospect Park West and found that average speeds on Prospect Park West have been reduced by nearly 25% by the addition of bike lanes. The group, which has been pro-bike lane from the beginning, also reported that the number of cars traveling more than 40 mph has been cut by 95 percent. “Prospect Park West has been transformed from a noisy speedway on which nearly every vehicle was speeding to a calmer, quieter neighborhood street on which the great majority of drivers are now obeying the speed limit,” commented Park Slope Neighbors campaign coordinator Eric McClure. “What a difference a lane makes.” Brooklyn Borough President, who opposed the creation of the bike lanes, wasn’t buying it. “Double-parking is still commonplace and the result is more noise from car-honking, more pollution from traffic jams and more frustration to residents and visitors alike,” Markowitz told The Brooklyn Paper.
PPW Bike Lane Puts the Brakes on Speeders [Park Slope Neighbors]
jagarch, minor correction — 3rd Ave bike lane is one-way (southbound only). There was no good northbound bike lane in Park Slope at all. (Part of 5th Ave has one — south of Carroll — but it’s a double-parking magnet.) Now there’s a world-class bike lane.
I’m sorry I didn’t check back earlier. Touche, etson, touche!
Bike lanes are great, and I would be very pro-bicycle, except I think riding one in this town is like courting death. And I live on a bike lane. And the number of near-accidents I see is one reason I think this.
It’s really a shame, too, because the style of bike I love — the old Raleigh 3 speeds or cruisers have been revamped by so many makers and they look so nice!
Legalize electric golf carts in NYC!
Uggh. I guess after 1:00am I’ll use the damn bike lane. I really like going through the park late at night. It’s really calming — so quiet and peaceful… aaaaahhhh. But I suppose I find myself there before 1:00am to calm me.
Yes, a month ago some friends of mine got a court summons for doing just that. Unmarked, and illegal.
The park road is closed from 1am to 5am?! Ooops. I have biked home much later than 1am through the park…
There is no better place in the neighborhood for this bike lane.
If you agree that Park Slope needs bike lanes (and I know some don’t – that’s a separate argument), then consider the geography for a moment.
Before the PPW lane was put in, only 5th ave and 3rd ave had two way, 24 hour bike lanes. That’s convenient for those who live or have a destination on the Gowanus side of the slope, but severely lacking for all others on the more populated, eastern side of Park Slope. 6th ave, 7th ave, 8th ave, and PPW all lacked bike lines.
Say you wanted to bike via bike lines from Windsor Terrace to Prospect Heights. You would be forced to bike all the way to 5th ave, about 1/2 mile from Windsor Terrace and 1/2 mile from Prospect Heights.
The park lane itself is severely limited: it’s one way, exits are far spaced, and it’s closed from 1am to 5am. The new lane on PPW has none of these problems.
6th ave has 2 way traffic, one lane each, as does 7th ave. 8th ave has two lanes going northbound. Only PPW had 3 lanes going southbound. Why was there an extra lane? If it was so precious, why didn’t 8th ave need three lanes going the opposite direction?
If the bike lane is not going to be on PPW, where else would it go? Should we make 8th ave only 1 lane, while PPW has 3? Should we put it on highly trafficked 7th ave? or 6th ave, only 1 block away from the existing lane on 5th ave?
Marty suggested using the PPW sidewalk for a northbound only bike lane. The sidewalk is currently laid out with a row of trees, a pedestrian sidewalk, and another row of trees. The entire stretch is not just pavement, but a combination of small stones and inlaid brick. The walkway isn’t big enough for 2 way pedestrian traffic (heavy on summer weekends) and 1 way of bike traffic. Widening it would require ripping up all the inlaid brick and cobblestones, and moving or eliminating the trees, at great expense. Putting in the paint for the PPW bike lane costs nearly nothing.
And all this for only 1 lane of bike traffic! Remember that the existing southbound park lane, which would complement this, is severely limited in exits and hours.
Marty, it just doesn’t make sense! All this means is that you get home from work 5 minutes later each day! Can’t you listen to the radio or something to make it worth your while?
When is fsrq *not* on the attack?
About the same time when you are not in the miserable envious curmudgeon mode
when I was kid we walked to school. If kids that small parents walked with them.