This walkway hits locals like a ton of bricks.
Windsor Terrace residents are stumbling over bricks protruding from a Prospect Park West sidewalk that has deteriorated into a dangerous obstacle course particularly perilous to neighborhood elders, according to a resident.
“A lot of people fall down and get hurt over here, and a lot of them are seniors, ” said Tom Prendergast.
The sidewalk, which runs along Prospect Park West from Bartel Pritchard Square to 18th Street, was built on a foundation of dirt and sand, according to Prendergast, who said its bricks are displaced during rainstorms because water seeps below them.
And locals continue to trip on the shifting, weather-prone walkway, some of whom suffer serious scuffs, the owner of a nearby drug store said.
“I’ve been here for 14 years and have seen people of all ages trip and fall on their faces to the point they break their noses and need stitches,” said Sajid Patel, who owns Ballard Pharmacy on Prospect Park West between 16th Street and Windsor Place.
Property owners whose lots border the precarious path are responsible for maintaining the sidewalk, and are liable for injuries that it causes, according to Department of Transportation codes.
But some area proprietors who said they do their best to mend a loose brick here and there claimed the upkeep is never-ending, and demanded the city pitch in with a more permanent solution.
“It’s not something you can repair. You fix one brick, and you have three more coming loose,” said Joseph Gallo, the owner of Prospect Park West butcher’s shop United Meat Market. “I would like to see the bricks removed — it’s the only way.”
And Prendergast, the local, took the matter into his own hands in the meantime, marking unsafe spots along the path with spray paint in an attempt to prevent more injuries.
He also relayed the problem to the neighborhood’s assemblyman, who said he set a meeting with transportation department reps and concerned residents for later this month in order to solve the sidewalk problem.
“It’s a big, contentious issue that people have been trying to fix for years now,” said Assemblyman Robert Carroll (D–Windsor Terrace), who is hosting the session on Nov. 28 at 7:30 pm at Prospect Park West’s Holy Name of Jesus church. “I’m trying to get all the store owners and actors to this meeting with the DOT.”
