DOT Plans Bike Lane for 15th St. and Safety Improvements for Bartel-Pritchard Sq.

Crossing Bartel-Pritchard Square near 15th Street can be dangerous for pedestrians. 

But, the Department of Transportation has a proposal for roadway changes that may make crossing near and around the traffic circle easier for pedestrians along with a bike lane for 15th Street.

Councilman Brad Lander, D-Park Slope, has been on a mission to make sure that area, which is right smack between Park Slope and Windsor Terrace, safer for all users.

“For years, many people in Park Slope and Windsor Terrace have called for safety improvements to Bartel-Pritchard Square and 15th Street, to make the roadways safer for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers,” said Councilman Brad Lander. “I have been working with the Department of Transportation to find safety solutions for these streets.”

The Department of Transportation is proposing:

• A traffic light at 15th Street
• New markings that will prevent vehicles from cutting across traffic to turn onto 15th Street
• A bike lane on 15th Street west of Eighth Avenue (and bike arrows on 15th Street between Eighth Avenue and Prospect Park West) in an effort to enhance the safety of a popular biking route and deter speeding.
• Bike arrows are also proposed for 14th Street

The DOT’s proposal aims to “reduce speeding and make it easier for pedestrians to cross 15th Street and Bartel-Pritchard Square,” Lander said in a press release.

“If you’ve ever tried to cross 15th Street at Bartel-Pritchard Square, you know to take the signs indicating that drivers should yield to pedestrians with a grain of salt,” Lander explained. “Speeding cars routinely ignore the yield signs and cut close to the sidewalk.”

The DOT will hold a meeting with Lander and Community Boards 6 and 7 meeting at 6:30, this Thursday, June 21 at Holy Name Church (in Shepherd’s Hall) at 245 Prospect Park West. Thursday’s meeting will be an opportunity for the public to get details about the plan for Bartel-Pritchard Square and offer feedback. Other traffic safety improvements for other parts of Brooklyn will also be discussed at the meeting.

What do you think about DOT’s proposed plan? What about the bike lane on 15th Street? Let us know in the comments section below.