It seems like Park Slope will get a bit more bicycle friendly this August when the Department of Transportation installs a two-way protected bike lane along Prospect Park West from Union Street to Bartel Prichard Square (PDF).

The plan–long encouraged by Transportation Alternatives and unanimously approved by the Community Board 6 Transportation Committee–is designed around a 10′ bidirectional bike path running alongside the street’s park-side curb. A 4′ buffer will separate the path from a parking lane, two travel lanes and another parking lane. A similar allocation of travel lanes has proven wildly successful along 9th Avenue in Manhattan, where it decreased injuries of all street users by 56 percent, calmed speeding motor-vehicle traffic and improved safety for pedestrians by reducing crossing distances.

As an added bonus, the Prospect Park West two-way protected bike lane brings with it the closure of Prospect Park’s 3rd Street entrance to motor-vehicle traffic. The Prospect Park Alliance has already implemented this long overdue commonsense improvement and thousands of people traveling from Park Slope to Prospect Park have already experienced its benefits.

In the coming months, T.A. will continue to encourage the City to install similarly innovative designs in suitable locations throughout the five boroughs, and we’ll keep you informed about the latest and greatest of them.

Take Action!

Although CB 6′s Transportation Committee unanimously supported Prospect Park West’s new bike lane, the full board has yet to vote on the proposal. That’s scheduled for today, so mark your calendars, show up and speak out for better biking.