Bicyclists will participate in a massive group ride on Sunday to show support for their beleaguered Prospect Park West bike lane, now the subject of a lawsuit, political pressure, dueling polls, and more international media coverage than some real wars.
Officially, organizers are calling the event a celebration of the “family-friendly redesign” of the formerly three-lane speedway into its current configuration of two lanes for cars and a two-way protected bike path for cyclists.
Families will gather to bicycle the length of the controversial bike path — and to cheer for a lane they say makes the neighborhood safer for kids on two-wheelers.
“It’s not a political thing; it’s just a practical thing,” said organizer Mitch Sonies, who has rounded up about 200 participants on the event’s Facebook page.
“People who don’t like the lane might think differently when they see how much families love it.”
There are, indeed, plenty of Slopers who don’t like the lane the way it is — roughly 53 percent if you believe Assemblyman Jim Brennan’s most recent survey. But a plurality of the neighborhood wants the lane to stay exactly the way it is, praising it for reducing auto speeds and improving safety for two-wheelers.
The last time Park Slopers clashed over the bike lane was back in October, when 250 riders took a victory lap, but were meet by dozens of opponents.
At end of the ride, near 15th Street, cyclists will score free treats from Bark Hot Dogs along with muffins from Blue Sky Bakery.
We Ride The Lanes (meet at the entrance of Prospect Park in Grand Army Plaza), April 10, 10:30 am. For information, visit weridethelanes.com).
