Prospect Park West bike lane challenge dismissed

Two community groups filed challenge eight months after DOT constructed bike lane. Beginning in April 2009, the Department of Transportation held a series of meetings with Brooklyn Community Board 6 regarding the proposed construction of a bike lane along a portion of Prospect Park West in Park Slope, Brooklyn. DOT planned to reduce the traffic lanes along Prospect Park West from three to two in order to install the two-way bike lane. CB 6 conditionally … <Read More>


More on bike safety

Bike riding in New York City is increasing, but the number of biker deaths and serious injuries remain the same. The City, as noted last month, asserts that bike riding has become relatively safer. There is, however, no data available on less serious injuries or on pedestrian confrontations both physical and those that produce frighteningly close calls. The attractiveness of bike riding makes certain the continued growth in riding. The City, while encouraging this growth, … <Read More>


Bike Safety: Still an illusive City goal

Has bicycle riding become safer in New York City? On July 28, 2011 the New York City Department of Transportation answered “Yes” by presenting statistics that showed that bike riding was 72 percent safer in 2010 than it was 2001. How good are DOT’s statistics?

Despite significant efforts, the absolute number of bicyclist fatalities and severe injuries has hardly moved. In 2000 there were 18 fatalities and 351 severe injuries. In 2010 there was no … <Read More>


Can Alternate Side Parking Be Fixed?

By Mark Chiusano

There are countless ways to demonstrate the forever-controversial nature of alternate side parking (ASP) in New York City, but only one involves Mayor Ed Koch’s voice whining from a mechanical street sweeper.

That was the gimmick the then-mayor unveiled in 1988 to encourage illegally parked cars to move, so the street sweepers could clean. “Get it outta here,” his tape-recorded voice implored. 

It’s just one example of how alternate side parking – <Read More>


DOT Celebrates Ten Years of Vision Zero

On February 15, 2024, the Department of Transportation celebrated the ten-year anniversary of the Vision Zero safety program, the City’s ongoing efforts to reduce and prevent deaths and serious injuries from traffic accidents and crashes. New York City was the first American city to develop a Vision Zero program. In over a century of recorded data, 2023 was the second safest year for pedestrians in New York City, and eight of the top ten safest <Read More>