Skateboarding recently received an amazing sign of acknowledgment in one of New York City’s greatest parks. Brooklyn’s Prospect Park Alliance has posted a series of new signs around the park’s main drive. The signs indicate revisions to lane use and traffic flow throughout the 3.35 mile Park Drive. A symbol of a skateboarder surprisingly appears on the new signs. This brings skateboarding as a means of transportation to a new level. Perhaps Alternative Transportation enthusiasts are taking the first steps in embracing the massive explosion of skateboarders using bike lanes and city streets to get around New York.
A skateboarder appears as a symbol on a series of new signs around Brooklyn’s Prospect Park.
A few simple skateboard icon callouts
As a lifelong skateboarder and an advocate of alternative transportation, I have some constructive comments for the new SK8 Icon.
Helmet – The skateboarder is the only image not wearing a helmet in the bike lanes.
The skateboard – the board and wheels below the rider could be a little more prominent, slightly longer and with larger wheels. That would help make the image more universally understandable.
Body Stance – I have never witnessed a skateboarder keep both arms completely horizontal and the pushing leg totally straight. The rollerblader body image is very much more indicative of what a skateboarder in transit would look like.
Skateboarders Urban Riding Environment – Rob Rodrigues tests out the new lane on his way into Manhattan from Brooklyn.
Regardless of the minor criticism, the new signs are a big step forward. The New York city parks department has done a great job providing skateboard parks in several communities throughout the boroughs. The skate parks are always free for the public to use but only offer appeal to skaters interested in tricks and hazardous maneuvers. Skateboards, when thought of as a mode of transportation hold a greatly broader appeal to people of all ages.