Park Slope Neighbors, a group that I co-founded and work for, has organized a petition drive in response to the Department of Transportation’s plan to turn Sixth and Seventh Avenues into one-way streets. Volunteers were out on the streets this weekend. The petition reads:

To the New York City Department of Transportation and New York City Council Members David Yassky and Bill de Blasio:

We the undersigned Park Slope Neighbors demand that the planned conversion of 6th and 7th Avenues to one-way traffic flow be stopped:

1. One-way avenues are unfriendly to neighborhood life. They lead to increased vehicle speeds and greater danger for pedestrians and cyclists.
2. Our communities must be included in the City’s planning processes. Community participation makes city government better. Neighborhood stakeholders have a much better understanding of local needs and problems than citywide officials can possibly ever possess.
3. Changes like these should only be considered as part of a comprehensive, multi-modal, area-wide transportation plan. Re-routing more traffic through one neighborhood street or another in 2007 does not address or contribute to NYC’s long-term goal of reduced automobile dependence.

Man, I couldn’t have said it better myself! If you want to help send the message, you can sign the petition right here.