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Saturday, November 12, 2011

USING PROSPECT PARK SHOULDN'T BE HAZARDOUS TO YOUR HEALTH


A woman walking in Prospect Park last week was struck by a racing biker and subsequently put into a medically-induced coma. Another woman was hit by a biker in June and suffered brain damage and broken bones. After the June incident, a neighborhood man posted a petition online proposing changes that would make using the park safer. Soon after, the Prospect Park Alliance formed a Road Sharing Taskforce.

The Taskforce will hold a public meeting next week to discuss how the full range of park users (runners, walkers, the elderly, people with their children, people with their dogs, competitive cyclists, recreational bikers, etc.) use the park drives and how they can co-exist safely. The meeting will be held on Wednesday, November 16th, at 6:00 p.m., in the Prospect Park Picnic House.

If you can't get to the meeting but you want your voice heard in the discussion, send an e-mail with your concerns to Eric Landau, Vice President of Government and Community Affairs for the Prospect Park Alliance: elandau [at] prospectpark.org.

Going to the park shouldn't make you wonder if you're going to come out unscathed.

To get to the Picnic House, enter the Park at 5th Street and Prospect Park West. Follow the path next to the Villa, walk down the stairs, and carefully go across the drive to the Picnic House.

Taskforce members include:
  • Department of Parks and Recreation (Prospect Park Administration)
    Department of Transportation
    Fellowship For The Interests of Dogs & Their Owners (FIDO)
    Jack Rabbit Sports
    Kissena Cycling Club
    New York Police Department (78th Precinct)
    Office of Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz
    Office of NYC Council Member Brad Lander (39th District)
    Park Enforcement Patrol
    Prospect Park Alliance Playground Committee
    Prospect Park Community Committee
    Prospect Park Senior Residence
    Prospect Park Track Club
    Transportation Alternatives