A PROPOSAL FOR THE SAFETY OF WALKERS, RUNNERS, AND CYCLISTS IN PROSPECT PARK

Prospect Park Road Sharing Taskforce Public Meeting

Tuesday, February 28th, 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

The safety measures introduced in a pilot program this past November on Prospect Park's West Drive (between Center Drive and Wellhouse Drive) didn't work out well. So, at tomorrow night's public meeting in Prospect Park's Picnic House, the Prospect Park Road Sharing Taskforce will present the recommendations it recently made to the Parks Department and the Department of Transportation about establishing safe practices on the park drives. 

The Daily News says that under the proposed plan

drivers - who currently are only allowed in the park during rush hour using two lanes - would be crammed into one ten-foot wide slice of Park Drive.

Bikers, meanwhile, would share a 10-foot wide lane, splitting it between slower riders and those moving at  speeds.

Walkers and runners would share a two-way 14-foot lane for people moving in both directions.

From The New York Times:

Under the proposal, the center lane, which is now used by motorists during morning and evening rush hours and by bicyclists at other times, would be for bicycles all day. (Car traffic is allowed from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. on the East Drive, and from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on the West Drive.) The left lane, which is currently divided between pedestrians and bicyclists during the rush hours, would be for pedestrians. And the right lane would be the only place for vehicular traffic: individual drivers when the park is open to cars, and parks department and other working vehicles in the off hours.

Whatever your thoughts may be about the plan, your voice should be heard. After all, it's your park.

Directions to the Picnic House: Enter the Park at 5th Street and Prospect Park West, follow the path next to the Villa, down the stairs and across the drive to the Picnic House.