SAFETY CONGESTION PAVEMENT CONDITION CLARITY OF SIGNING AESTHETICS
3 3 5 4 6
Safety: sharp curves, very narrow lanes, no acceleration/deceleration lanes, no shoulders.
Congestion: nothing from the Gowanus to the VZ Bridge, ok from bridge to Coney Island Ave, bad from Coney Island Ave to Queens border, AWFUL from Queens border to Southern State Pkwy.
Pavement Condition: pavement itself is not awful, some bumps, and potholes, but the drain covers in the left lane are BRUTAL.
Clarity of signing: exit signs are often TOO close to exits, with not enough warning.
Aesthetics: Nice views of New York Harbor, VZ-N Bridge, out to Atlantic... but ugly through Coney Island rail yards, swamps near Queens border (former landfill), and area around JFK.
Reviewed by: Steve Anderson Last Traveled: 2003
SAFETY CONGESTION PAVEMENT CONDITION CLARITY OF SIGNING AESTHETICS
3 2 6 5 5
In its day, the Belt Parkway was exemplary for its combination of rustic and seaside design aesthetics, while sticking (mostly) true to traditional parkway design guidelines. A postwar widening project brought two additional lanes to the parkway, but did little to fix the cramped entrance and exit ramps. The result today is that a mix of speeds and antiquated safety standards are directly related to the parkway's high accident rate.
The parkway once was a design jewel, but new bridges constructed over the parkway and other changes during the past 40 years have detracted from the beauty.
