When: Earth Day, Thursday, April 22, 7:30-8:00 am
Where: At the Grand Army Plaza entrance to Prospect Park, Brooklyn.

On Earth Day, Tuesday morning, April 22, members of Transportation Alternatives' Brooklyn Committee and Prospect Park users will gather at the Grand Army Plaza entrance to the park with signs telling speeding motorists to slow down, and asking for police enforcement.

In December 2003, a Transportation Alternatives (T.A.) radar study of traffic on Prospect Park's drive found that 92% of motorists driving in the park exceed the 30 mph speed limit and 25% speed at 40 mph plus. The average speed in the park is 38 mph. (More findings on back.)

According to T.A. spokesperson Noah Budnick:

"Cars and Prospect Park do not mix. Motorists treat the park drive like a Grand Prix course. Putting joggers, strollers, cyclists and skaters in a narrow recreation lane inches away from speeding motorists is a recipe for disaster."

Budnick added that the Parks and Transportation Departments should increase park safety by instituting year-round weekday car-free hours in the park instead of opening the park to motorists on weekdays in November and December.

Councilmember Bill de Blasio, who represents a portion of Park Slope, said:

"Transportation Alternatives is absolutely right – speeding cars in the park raise serious safety concerns. The pilot program of weekday car-free hours has been a success and should be expanded year-round."

Councilmember David Yassky, who represents Park Slope, Downtown Brooklyn, Greenpoint and Willimsburg affirmed,

"It is impossible to enjoy a safe and clean Prospect Park when hundreds of cars a day are whizzing by pedestrians and polluting the air. We must extend the current pilot program year-round to make the park safer for Brooklynites."

Currently, Prospect Park's drives are open to cars during weekday rush hours––7 am to 9 am and 5 pm to 7 pm––January to November. During November and December, the park drive is open to motorists 24 hours per day on weekdays. The drive is closed to motorists on weekends.

Radar Speed Study
Using a police-issue radar gun and traffic engineering sampling methods, T.A. measured the speeds of 608 vehicles in early December 2003 on Prospect Park's drive during morning and afternoon rush hours on four weekdays. Major findings:

• The average speed is 38 mph. (The speed limit in Prospect Park is 30 mph.
• 92.6% of motorists exceed the 30 mph legal speed limit.
• 63% of motorists were driving at speeds between 36 and 45 mph.
• 25% of motorists speed 10 mph or more over the 30 mph speed limit.
• The highest speed was 63 mph.