Proposed Joggers Lane to Make New Prospect Park Design Even More Confusing

Jogging Path / Photo via http://www.brooklynroadrunners.org/

We’ve all been confused by the various roadway lanes in Prospect Park at one point or another, and the tiny signs scattered around the loop barely provide much guidance. All of this is slated to change. The Park plans to introduce a new biker-and-pedestrian-friendly plan for this curvy stretch of road.  

As FiPS has previously reported, it looks like we’re headed toward a new era of lane divisions in our beloved neighborhood park. Not only will the current, single pedestrian lane be expanded to two, but we’ll also have slow and fast lane options for bikers. Meanwhile, cars will be limited down to a single lane, which I’m sure many motorists will lament as the loss of their most sacred right.

Recently, news broke of an even greater triumph for runners. The latest proposal calls for a brand new running lane that’s got a softer surface than asphalt. As a runner and frequent pedestrian in the Park, I’m pretty excited about the notion of more pedestrian-devoted lanes. I’m even more excited about the running-specific lane, as I’d rather not have to have knee replacement before I’m 35. My plans for runner domination of the park are finally coming to fruition! Soon we’ll replace all of the grass with a track, too! A JackRabbit will open up shop on the Nethermead! It will be perfect!  

Frankly, I’d like to see the whole thing turned into a pedestrian zone. Who needs cars? And we all know how residents of the Slope (particularly those living adjacent to Prospect Park West) feel about bike lanes, so we could probably do away with those as well! On the other hand, I bet we could make this more complicated.

Let’s throw in a lane for horses. We can also add another one for parents and strollers.  Oh, and we should probably have one specifically for Park Slope dogs, which are, of course, smart enough to walk themselves. Soon enough, everyone will be just as confused as when those orange barrels were put up.