The Prospect Park Drives usage mtg, Feb 28th
See bikers who dislike pedestrians
See pedestrian who dislike bikers
See car drivers who dislike bikers and pedestrians
See lots of people dislike cars
See people rant about dog owners and more!
Yes, it is time for another "discussion" on how we can best share (or monopolize) the park!
Conspiracy theorists welcome!
Details
http://www.prospectpark.org/about/community_news_updates
Comments
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If they just ban the frigging cars and create wider lanes for pedestrians and bikes, none of this nonsense would be necessary. If they're not going to ban cars then they need to express very clearly, through sign posts and painted words on the ground, when the lanes are open for pedestrians/cars/bikes. But that's way too simple to implemented.
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I predict that we will soon have a park full of signs, because they are much cheaper and less controversial than enforcement.
Whether anyone will obey the signs remains to be seen.
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I used to drive through the park occasionally when the lanes were open and I can honestly say that the bikers were more of a threat to the walkers than cars were. Those guys hardly ever obeyed the same 25 mph speed limit that the cars have and they NEVER stopped at red lights.
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Sorry, but I do not think any additional rules or restrictions will be placed on any group (bikers, roller bladers, stroller pushers, joggers, drivers, walkers, walkers with dogs, cars, unicyclists, horses, motorcyclists, park service vehicles, families pulling food coolers, groups I forgot to mention).
Prior to the start of summer, the Parks Department just needs to reduce its liability in pending and future lawsuits. Organizations tend to address immediate threats in easiest way possible, and attempting to actually change the situation would be way harder.
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Maybe they should just try to keep all the PEOPLE out of the park. As Emerson, Lake & Palmer sang in Karn Evil 9, "there behind the glass is a real blade of grass. Be careful as you pass, move along, move along."
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Dear xyz,
For Brooklynites like you, Prospect Park is like the borough's backyard; it's a great place to bike, jog, walk your dog and set your kids free -- except for one factor. Cars are allowed to speed through the park's 3.35 mile loop drive! With speeding cars in the mix, Brooklyn's backyard is downright chaotic. But now, you have the opportunity to reclaim Prospect Park for people!
WHAT: Prospect Park Drive, Redesigned!
WHEN: Tuesday, February 28th at 6 pm
WHERE: Prospect Park Picnic House, BrooklynOn February 28th, the Prospect Park Road Sharing Task Force will present their recommendations to park users. At the meeting, T.A. will stand up for a Prospect Park that prioritizes safe bicycling and walking (and jogging!). We need all Brooklynites who love the loop drive to join us and speak up for a safer Prospect Park.
With gratitude,
Paul Steely White
Executive Director
Transportation Alternatives
Your advocate for Biking, Walking and Public Transit
Transportation Alternatives Join T.A. on Facebook!Follow T.A. on Twitter!
127 West 26th Street
Suite 1002
New York, NY 10001[email protected]
Phone: 212 629-8080
Fax: 212 629-8334 -
@whynot_31 ... You need to live blog this. If it's going to be anywhere near as entertaining as your lead post suggests.
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Live blogging isnt my style.
But for fun, I might take pictures of opinionated people at the event and then ask viewers which camp they belong to:
A. Pedestrians are the source of all evil
B. Cars are the source of all evil
C. Bikes are the source of all evil
D. Dogs and thier owners are the source of evil.
E. Off topic rant about how we should abolish the federal reserve and return to gold standard.
F. The only solution to the park's problems is something that closely resembles martial law.
G. No one should be allowed to use the park without going thru a 40 hr training, which the Parks Department should provide in each of the 200 languages spokens in Brooklyn. -
People should only be allowed in the park (whether on foot, bicycle or horseback, or in a car or van) while leashed to a dog or cat.
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I'm pretty confident that an appearance will be made by the guy who believes that "none of this will be fixed until bring back the gold standard" OR the guy who believes that believes "all of the park's problems will be solved by legalizing marijuana".
On special occasions, these guys are the same guy.
That said, here's my advice on how to get the crowd behind you at the Park Mtg:
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Spoiler alert: The NYT is reporting that Drivers may lose a lane
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.
Ms. Lloyd anticipates a harsh reaction from drivers when the proposal is announced at the Tuesday meeting, especially from those who chafed at losing a lane of traffic when a bike lane was added to Prospect Park West two summers ago. But she urged drivers not to rush to judgment.
The Transportation Department has said it expected the task force recommendations to be put into effect this spring.
The task force, with 14 members, included community groups, cyclists and pedestrian advocates as well as the New York Police Department and Transportation Department, which provided models to assess the effects on traffic in and around the park. Drivers were not officially represented.
source: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/28/nyregion/changes-planned-for-prospect-park-loop.html?_r=1
Maybe some irate drivers will show up and claim the task force met in secret, and that there is a vast conspiracy!
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I can't decide if this is a step in the right direction or half-assed.
Also, as a cyclist, I don't for a minute think that cyclists, whether hard-core or light recreational, are going to stay out of the lane designated for cars during off hours.
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I was at the meeting tonight and if I understood the plan right, they don't care if you do, it's your responsibility.
The woman equated it to as it is now, that bicyclists are allowed to go into the car lane during times when cars are in the park at your own risk. Like on any street in NYC.
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They've had a cop out yelling on speakers for cars to slow down during the morning rush hour. It was pretty ridiculou. They just need to write tickets. They could clean up with speeding and light-running tickets for cars drivers out there.
I wish they would just stop allowing car traffic all-together, but limiting (and enforcing) cars to one lane is a good move. Cyclists and peds need to have more designated space since it is a park, after all, not a parkway.
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I decided not to attend.
Earlier today, I concluded that:
a. The mtg was simply going to be another forum in which to announce what had already been announced on the Park Alliance website and covered by multiple media sources.
b. Despite being the best choice, Jerry Springer was not going to be the Emcee.
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PragmaticGuy said:
I used to drive through the park occasionally when the lanes were open and I can honestly say that the bikers were more of a threat to the walkers than cars were. Those guys hardly ever obeyed the same 25 mph speed limit that the cars have and they NEVER stopped at red lights.A few facts & points you should consider:
1. A Recent study by a neighborhood group showed that NINENTY NINE PERCENT of cars in the park during evening rush hour exceeded the 25 mph speed limit and close to 45% exceeded FORTY miles per hour.
BONUS: a pedestrian hit by a vehicle traveling 40 mph has a 10-20% chance of survival (link)
2. Few are the bicyclists in NYC streets and parks who can regularly reach 25 mph, let alone keep that speed for any length of time.
BONUS 1: Between 1996 and 2005, NYC bicyclists killed an average of 1 pedestrian per year. (link)
BONUS 2: Cars kill around 140 people per year.
3. I am very curious how you were able to ascertain your observation as you drove through the park at 25 mph. (I assume due to your concern for public safety that you wouldn't dare be part of the Speeding 99%).
But don't let facts get in the way of your steel-encaged anecdotal evidence.
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I'm looking forward to another great riding season (Spring, Summer and Fall) in the park, complete with the regular conflicts.
Predictions:
About five serious biker-pedestrian accidents, defined as the biker and/or the pedestrian needing medical care. No one will die.Unlike bikes, the cars are only in the park a few hours a day. I predict we will need a car to actually fatally injure a pedestrian or biker before cars are successfully banned from the park. I don't think that will happen this summer.
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Whynot, I agree. As a regular weekend park user over the past few years, the majority of the close calls in the park are between pedestrians and bikers and not biker/car or pedestrians/cars.
While I think that the changes will make it easier for most users, I don't think that some of the current changes will impact the park culture of ignoring traffic signals (a significant majority of bikers AND pedestrians) or mindless park meanderings which create the environment for the types of accidents that cause headlines.
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My husband went and basically the overwhelming majority stated they did not want ANY cars in the park. And one complained of the racing bikers in the park.
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From what I have been told, the Parks Alliance can't ban cars from the park without getting the approval of the city council and the surrounding community boards.
So, that wasn't an option they could realistically put forward last night.
It should be interesting to see if they are able to get the "one lane for cars" idea that have come up with to be actually implemented.
If they can't, they are completely impotent.
Likewise, if the Parks Dept manages to paint some more stripes on the pavement, and bikes and peds continue to collide, the parks department may still be exposed in bike-ped lawsuits.
They could have to do something expensive, like enforcement.
Howdy, Stranger!
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