Gothamist: Group Pushing for Total Car Ban in Prospect Park

JanetG

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 21:49:14 -0500

Adrocks, the weakest possible justification for permitting cars in the park is that the park loop is a great shortcut. There are plenty of other roads to get you where you're going. If it's just people who are new to the neighborhood who see room for improvement, not just accepting things as they've always been (and I don't think that's correct) then that's great. and if the park users were unemployed, the inability to safely exercise during rush hour wouldn't matter, would it?

adrocks

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 15:07:25 -0500

The park is just for me. Why should other people be considered? I paid big money for my house/condo since I moved here so now the city should make my life better and to hell with everyone else. I mean if your not exercising in the park everyday who cares? Where are all those people in cars going anyway? What's a job?

JMH

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 10:57:07 -0500

Agreed with JanetG above.

JanetG

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 10:13:53 -0500

It's sad that in order to discuss this issue we have to resort to ethnic slurs. Because there are Brooklynites of every race and religious persuasion (there being no discernible Amish here) who believe it a necessity that, the minute you can afford it, you buy a big car which you then drive stupidly and fast.

jibbly

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 01:10:18 -0500

The Chasidim also use the park for recreation. I see lots of parents and their kids on bikes and taking walks at any given moment during the day. I'm sure they would greatly appreciate not being potentially run over by speeding minivans. Seriously, driving through PP is plain silly. The supposed benefit of saving time is barely more than a minute or two and that's if you're exceeding the speed limit within the park. I enjoy riding my bike right in the middle of the car lane. When I do, hey presto, suddenly my legs feel tired and I keep a nice 10mph pace. Those fools can honk and gun their engines all they want, they don't have the cajones to run me over.

dogbraincatscan

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 22:18:09 -0500

I fully agree. My father was run down by a non parks dept.-van who wasn't even following the traffic laws; turning into a parks dept-only area... and broke his wrist so badly he was out of work for 3 months, and couldn't ride his bicycle for 6.

JohnnyWil

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 22:08:50 -0500

I wasn't signing the petition. The tree just asked me for my autograph.

BongoBoy

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 20:25:27 -0500

Yeah, all sounds good, but how are you going to fight the Chasidim Express from Williamsburgh to Borough Park and Midwood, directly thru the East Drive in the morning and the West Drive in the evening? Just watch those minivans ... sure beats those old Country Squires which were their trademark ...

flynn110

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 19:20:23 -0500

i agrre completely. just last weekend a friend of mine was nearly hit by a driver unawares of the bicycle traffic around him and turned without care or caution to anyone else. it is also my experience that these drivers are commonly exceeding the speed limit. those seeking to lug sports equipment to the park can find ample parking alongside the roads that border the park. i mean isn't the view nicer when you walk/jog/bike through the park anyway rather than race through in a car?

lanciano

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 18:04:59 -0500

"is there a new version of softball that requires more than a helmet, glove, and a bat for each person, plus three bases and a plate?" seriously.

hard times

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 17:39:24 -0500

is there a new version of softball that requires more than a helmet, glove, and a bat for each person, plus three bases and a plate? how on earth is a car necessary for this? I hate to look like I'm jumping all over that commenter, but if that's an argument for allowing cars in the park, well, there's really no argument at all, it seems.

lanciano

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 17:38:46 -0500

if you're playing softball, surely you have the wherewithal to carry a duffle bag of bats and balls from a parking lot to the field. my friends walk from 5th avenue to the fields with no problem. (I think the parking lots should remain and more semi-permanent barriers should be put in place to stop cars at the entrance. semi-perm to allow for the obvious transport of the enormous equipment nec for the concerts etc.) Otherwise, there is no reason to drive through the park. and so true, drivers in the park are mostly speeding assholes. i've been run off the road when attempting to get to the left on my bike numerous times. last Tuesday eve, as i was walking (yes WALKING) to the softball fields, i saw a car bearing down fast and honking loudly at a mother and her kid who were clumsily crossing the street with a tricycle. Yes, the mom was remiss for not picking up the pace before the light changed, but this driver was an ASSSHOLE and caused a potentially fatal situation. PPW is free and clear of traffic at all times. cars would be better off over there.

babyhitler

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 17:37:33 -0500

#4- here is a site where you can make your own Cargo bicycle trailer for $30.00 http://www.instructables.com/id/Bicycle-cargo-trailer--200-lb-capacity,-$30-for-pa/

babyhitler

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 17:35:26 -0500

#4- There is this thing called a bike trolley. You just put it at the end of your bike and Voila - a little truck to carry things.

moonbeam

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 17:23:14 -0500

ITA with Janet. If they need something to transport their equipment, they can use a cart. http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_t?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=cart

JanetG

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 17:17:54 -0500

As for the softball players: if they're getting closer to the field than they would be from outside the park, they're probably stopping/parking their cars totally illegally, and doing it during car-free hours at that. I think the women who are powerful enough to play softball can also carry their own equipment. It's been my observation that when cars are used to transport things to those fields adult beverages are often involved.

JanetG

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 16:54:06 -0500

There is, I agree, absolutely no reason for cars to be in the park. However, there is no reason to defer this car ban to next summer. When the days are long (i.e., the summer) it's safe to run or cycle before 7AM or after 7PM, because it's light out, but less so as the days get shorter. Those of us who use the park regularly also know that these hours are regularly violated, in part because the barrier-movers can't move all the barriers simultaneously and in part because they're more sympathetics to the drivers than to cyclists and bipeds. (I presume many of the park employees need to punch in at 7, considering how they fly towards Litchfield Villa from inside and outside the park shortly before that hour.)

woodendesigner

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 16:53:05 -0500

I'm sure that all of the softball and baseball leagues will survive. The walk from the outside of the park is not that much further.

Pezdro

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 16:45:39 -0500

My wife and a majority of the other women in the Prospect Park Softball league use cars to carry equipment for games. It would be a shame if cars were not allowed into the park. It may be the end of a lot of people being able to be part of the softball league.

WorksInDUMBO

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 16:30:12 -0500

agreed--with all of the above.

woodendesigner

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 16:25:32 -0500

I agree. I bike in the park all the time and have to agree with the stats that 90% of the cars exceed the speed limit. I would even say that some of them are going close to 60mph. As someone that has driven in and around the park a lot in the past, I can honestly say that there is not that much time saved by driving around it.

markedman

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 16:22:50 -0500

There really is absolutely no reason to allow cars into the park, other than perhaps the southeast corner to access the skating rink parking lot. If it cuts down on travel time around the area at all, it is merely a few minutes. The park is extremely crowded with cyclists, runners, horses, skateboarders, and pedestrians during the afternoon hours especially, and cars are an unnecessary danger.