SIDEWALKS
in the spring when workers
unexpectedly stumbled upon
problematic underground infrastructure,
and then again
in the fall due to heavy rains,
Ferguson said.
And, while the Parks
spokeswoman couldn’t say
when or why, the contractor
at some point stopped coming
to work, which caused agency
offi cials to scramble to get the
project back on track.
In January, Parks reps told
members of the Prospect Park
Community Committee — a
body representing various local
groups that meet with city
reps on a monthly basis to discuss
the park — that they were
considering defaulting their
contractor, but the agency has
since chosen to continue relying
on Akal, according to Ferguson,
who said ditching the
contractor would only result
in further delays.
The project is now expected
to be completed sometime
this summer, according to
the Parks spokeswoman, who
noted that, while the project’s
budget has increased over earlier
estimates, the project did
not suffer any cost overruns
as a result of the delay.
As is, less than a quarter
of the total project area —
which extends from Grand
Army Plaza to the zoo — has
been completed, and the new
sidewalk that has been laid
remains surrounded by muck
and fenced off to pedestrians,
with barricades erected on
Flatbush Avenue providing
pedestrians a narrow path
around the construction area.
Akal is also responsible for installing
new fences, benches,
and light poles as part of
the project.
Park patrons were not
happy to learn that work
would continue into Prospect
Park’s busy season, and
COURIER LIFE, M 22 ARCH 29–APRIL 4, 2019 PS
demanded the city pick up
the pace.
“It’s not fair to do this in
the summer,” said Borough
Park resident Nechumi Yaffe.
“This is their job, to have
it fi xed.”
But an early advocate for
the sidewalk remediation
project said he hopes locals
don’t blame the Parks Department
for their contractor’s
failings.
“It’s frustrating when the
park, the city, and elected offi
cials have all done their part
and then the contractor disappears,”
said Seth Kaplan, a
founding member of Parks4Us
— a park advocacy group.
BIKE LANE
about issues related to the
green space.
Installing the lane will
also require chopping down
56 trees along that stretch
of Ocean Avenue sidewalk,
but park keepers plan to replace
the axed plants with
more than 150 new trees as
part of the larger $9.6-million
project to repair sidewalks,
create new entrances,
and install amenities including
lights and benches along
Ocean and Parkside avenues,
according to Transportation
Alternatives member Michael
Drinkard’s notes from the
meeting.
Prospect Park Alliance leaders
are overseeing construction
of the raised Ocean Avenue
bike lane, but the Transportation
Department will handle
the installation of the project’s
other cycling paths on Prospect
Park Southwest and Parkside
Avenue, as well as new
protected lanes on Flatbush Avenue,
a separate effort that city
reps last June discussed with
the community committee,
Drinkard said.
“I think it’s awesome
that the park is going to be
lined by protected bike lanes,”
he said. “My feeling is most
people at the park and the Alliance
are really excited by
it too.”
The Ocean and Parkside
avenue project is still in its
design phase, but the Parkside
Avenue component is not
fully funded, according to alliance
spokeswoman Deborah
Kirschner, who said offi
cials hope to complete it by
fall 2021.
GET A MOVE: A large portion of Flatbush Avenue near Prospect Park
remains fenced off and unfi nished, while work on the remainder hasn’t
even started. Photo by Natallie Rocha
RAISE THE LANE: The city is
planning to build an elevated,
two-way bike path on part of an
Ocean Avenue sidewalk bordering
Prospect Park.
Photo by Colin Mixson
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