Wont converting Prospect Park West and 8th Avenue to two-way streets increase commute times significantly?
No. Park Slope Neighbors conducted a road test under controlled conditions to see how long it takes to drive (at the legal speed limit) from Union Street to 15th Street via both Prospect Park West and 6th Avenue, and from 15th Street to Union Street via 8th Avenue and 6th Avenue, in order to compare these one-way avenues with a two-way avenue. We conducted the test at night to control for traffic volume (we were able to travel unimpeded by other vehicles); we made sure we started from a red light each time; and we accelerated normally and used cruise control in order to drive at the 30-mile-per-hour speed limit when not braking for a red traffic light. The southbound trip took exactly two minutes and 57 seconds on both Prospect Park West and 6th Avenue. The northbound trip took three minutes and 20 seconds on 8th Avenue, and three minutes and 40 seconds on 6th Avenue. We repeated the drives in order to make sure conditions were consistent.
