Prospect Park Drive Safety Petition

After a recent collision of a biker and a pedestrian in Prospect Park, which put the pedestrian in the hospital with serious injuries, neighbors have voiced concern over the safe use of Park Drive. Neighbor Mark Simpson has put together a petition addressed to the Prospect Park Alliance to propose new rules and markings along the popular loop. Here's an abbreviated run-down of what's being asked for:

1.⇥Paint road markings to show the intended use of each lane during the 90% of the time the drive is closed to cars.

2.⇥Add many more and permanent signs to show the intended use of each lane. The current signs are temporary and there are only a few and most people don't see them.

3.⇥Change the lane use to match what works in practice: center lane for fast bikes (currently right lane), right lane for slow bikes and roller bladers (currently center), inside lanes for runners and walkers (same).

4.⇥Place in-grade yellow flashing lights into the crosswalk lines at the traffic signal crosswalks. Make the lights flash whenever pedestrians have the right of way (light is red). Add a sign at every light that says "Yield to pedestrians when flashing" or "Yield to pedestrians at red signal". Add signs for the crossers saying "Yield to Park Drive Users when Traffic Light is Green".

5.⇥Rule change: when the park drive is closed to traffic -- walkers, runners, bladers, and cyclists doing laps on the Park Drive must yield to crossing pedestrians at red lights and then may continue. When the light is green, crossing pedestrians must yield to all users on the park drive and then may continue.

6.⇥Double the number of crosswalks by adding additional crosswalks without stop lights at high traffic crossing areas between park destinations to encourage controlled crossing between lights. Add signs at every crosswalk that say "Yield to Park Drive Users" (the current law).