A study conducted between July 17th and 24 seems to confirm that the new design of Prospect Park West is a success. According to a press release from Park Slope Neighbors, a neighborhood advocacy group, traffic is slower on PPW thanks to the new bike lane and one less lane of traffic…
“A radar-gun study conducted last month by Park Slope Neighbors has confirmed that the redesign of Prospect Park West has accomplished exactly what the New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) intended – it’s made the street appreciably safer by significantly reducing vehicle speeds.
The study, conducted on July 17th and 24th, found that average speeds on Prospect Park West have been reduced by nearly 25%, bringing five times as many drivers into compliance with the speed limit and cutting the number of vehicles traveling 40 miles per hour or faster by a whopping 95%. The redesign, which narrowed the roadway from three travel lanes to two – replacing one travel lane with a parking-protected two-way bike lane, and adding wide refuge areas for pedestrians – was implemented in June by NYC DOT after calls for traffic calming from Brooklyn Community Board Six, Park Slope Neighbors, and the Park Slope Civic Council, among others.
Volunteers from Park Slope Neighbors conducted the speed survey as a follow-up to their March 2010 field survey, which was conducted prior to the redesign of Prospect Park West. That study found that 85% of cars were exceeding the speed limit, and a startling 30% were averaging 40 mph or more. The new results demonstrate a huge reduction in speeding – the primary goal of the Prospect Park West project.
Perhaps so, but I’ve lived on the park for over 20yrs and have seen about 4 accidents total prior to the bike lane traffic pattern and only 2 prior to the addition of traffic lights — that’s why my experiences in the past few weeks were a surprise to me. Must just be a strange coincidence I suppose.
Three minor fender-benders in two months doesn’t sound like much. Bet there were at least that many in the two months before the bike lane.
Call me crazy or incredibly selfish but actually I don’t have a problem with people who live in the neighborhood (a neighborhood of tax payers and community supporters that include quite a few new incoming people, many who have been living here for many years and even a good number of multi-generational familes) who park or drive their cars on PPW and using “90%” of the common space*.
*Honestly I’m not quite sure what your comment “90%” of common space” is referring to exactly. When we had 5 lanes – 2 parking and 3 travel for all vehicles, incl. bikes – the 2 parking lanes would be “40%” of the common space. If we add the neighborhood use of one of the travel lanes that would be up to a whopping 60% of common space. The parking is still 40% now.
Also have to make that 3 accidents that I’ve now seen since the new traffic pattern — yesterday there was another fender bender at 5:30pm-ish near 13th & PPW. The incident was another case of slow-mo bumper cars – not speeding but with damage nonetheless. And in a separate event around the same time period at Carroll & PPW … FDNY ambulance with siren going stuck for almost a full light cycle. I have a very good friend who is an EMT for FDNY and believe me seconds can count. I remain concerned.
More and more cyclists, including children, are using the bike lanes. These appear to be types who wouldn’t have biked otherwise without the safety of the dedicated lane. Can we agree that reducing the speed of cars might prevent fatalities of both walkers and bikers? Can we accept that allowing cars and their owners to occupy 90% of the commons is a waste of public space?
I have lived on PPW for 20yrs and my apartment faces the park. I personally witnessed the two accidents and there was definitely a police report filed on the first. I was walking on my way to work when the other one took place (7:30AM) and I was only able to see the drivers get out of their cars to talk to each other.
I’ve seen both ambulances and fire trucks stuck and/or slowed in traffic with their sirens on quite a few times in the past few weeks — PPW has been a route that many emergency vehicles take.
You are right that the traffic is slower — but personally I think that time will tell regarding what the operating definition of “safe” or “calm” will prove to be in this case.
Lisa,
Your lack of seriousness is appalling.
http://humantransport.org/sidewalks/SpeedKills.htm
Speed is a major factor in all vehicle crashes, and has serious consequences in crashes involving pedestrians. A pedestrian has only about a 15% chance of survival when hit by a vehicle traveling at 40 mph; the survival rate jumps to 95% when speed is reduced to 20 mph.
It would be nice if Lisa presented genuine before-and-after evidence for her assertions.
Here’s a direct link to the full release:
http://www.parkslopeneighbors.org/ppw8/speedsurvey.htm
Actually, traffic is a lot slower, and calmer. Where’s the evidence of honking and roadway blockages? And evidence of slowed emergency vehicles? And evidence of all the accidents? There are hardly any cyclists on the sidewalks at this point, and plenty of “real” cyclists in the bike path along with the “unreal” cyclists.
Slower is most definitely safer.
To put it more succintly — slower may not equal safer.
“calmer”? Not sure about that – summer traffic always sees a lull on PPW so I have a problem with the “study” results myself. Traffic may be a tad slower but not calm. Lots of honking because of blocked traffic from deliveries, taxis, parking related blockages to the roadway. Emergency vehicles have been been slowed down too – that can’t be welcome news. Finally we’ve seen several “slow-motion” side-swipes that have taken place in the past few weeks and the damage to the cars in question not insignificant. Meanwhile bikers are still using the sidewalks and the real cyclists in our building have said that they’re still using the street which they term “safer” than the new bike lanes. I’m thrilled to see the city pursuing changes that they believe will improve the quality of life and safety for us but I still have serious doubts about this particular effort.