Why a protected bike path?
In 2007, Community Board 6 raised the issue of speeding traffic along Prospect Park West to DOT. The Community Board also requested improved bicycle access to Prospect Park. In response DOT designed a protected on-street bike path for Prospect Park West to address both concerns simultaneously. DOT has been installing on-street bike paths, protected from vehicular traffic by parked cars in locations where the width of the roadway, combined with high volumes of bicycle traffic and either high volumes of motor vehicle traffic or high speeds make cycling in traffic unsafe or undesirable. Before the bike path was installed, radar-gun studies showed that more than three out of every four motorists exceeded the 30 mph speed limit. The project has removed one of three travel lanes and added a two-way protected bicycle path along the park.
