BY ALINE REYNOLDS | Pedestrians need not worry about getting hit by a bike when walking through City Hall Park, according to the City Department of Transportation, which released a study last week revealing safe and infrequent bike travel along the walkway.
Contrary to some community members’ claims, the walkway is safe for pedestrians, the study indicates. Fifty-six percent of bikers recently tracked by a D.O.T. surveyor dismounted from their bikes, as they’re supposed to, on weekdays, while 27 percent rode their bikes safely along the path and 17 percent rode their bikes the wrong way. On weekends, 58 percent dismounted from their bikes when entering the walkway, while 33 percent rode their bikes safely and just eight percent rode the wrong way.
The study also shows that the number of bikers that use the walkway today is about the same as in 2008, and that far more pedestrians traverse City Hall than do bikers — between 700 to 1100 people walk through the park between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m., whereas no more than 100 bikers pass through during that time frame.
And, while some are comforted by the study, many nearby residents and workers that walk through the park still believe they are in danger — particularly since the D.O.T. has plans to remove the “dismount” signs that line the walkway once surrounding park construction is complete.
“The path is too narrow to have anyone on bicycles going through it. It’s just kind of crazy to me,” said Community Board 1 Youth and Education Committee Chairperson Paul Hovitz, who was nearly knocked over by a bicyclist on the pathway last fall. “This is a matter of safety, not only for the pedestrians but for the bicyclists themselves. If they hit a pedestrian, they’re going to get hurt.”
Hovitz has recommended that the D.O.T. deploy officials, or alternatively install cameras, to monitor the bikers traversing the park. He has also suggested creating a separate bike lane adjacent to the walkway.
“While anyone can produce a pie chart, our concern still remains that this path is very narrow and there is no enforcement,” said Hovitz. “I don’t think they’ve properly investigated.”
“I still see people zooming out of there,” said Spruce Street School parent Erin Clark, who also had a near-collision with a bicyclist last year. Particularly worried about the safety of her first grade daughter, who frequents the park with her, Clark now pauses and looks before entering and exiting the walkway.
“I’m concerned for all the kids,” said Clark. “Any one of them at any day could get hit by a bike. If somebody were giving tickets or telling people to get off their bikes, the problem would probably go away.”
Responding to the community’s concern, the D.O.T. issued a written statement, saying, “The City Hall Park shared lane is being enjoyed safely by cyclists and pedestrians alike. This pathway forms a vital link in the bicycle network by connecting the Hudson River Greenway with the Brooklyn Bridge.” The department wouldn’t comment on whether it is considering creating an alternative bike lane in the vicinity or deploying officials to monitor the area.
Approximately half the bikers noticed by the Downtown Express on the evening of June 20 ignored the signs instructing them to dismount. Several passersby expressed concern about safety.
“Some of [the cyclists] go very fast. It’s difficult for people walking, and you don’t know if they’re going to run into you,” said Rose T., who works on Chambers Street.
A World Financial Center employee, who refused to give his name, said he rarely sees the bikers obey the law. “It’s annoying. I never see anyone give the common courtesy to get off his or her bike,” he said. Getting hit by a biker, he continued, “definitely goes through your mind.”
Battery Park City worker John M. injured his elbow when a cyclist collided with him a few years ago. “They’ve got police everywhere [else]. Having someone here would be a good idea,” he said.
