New-York tribune., 1895-10-20
WHEELMEN ON PARK WALhS.
WILL, THE PRIVILEGES BRooKLYNirEs
NOW ENJOY BE CURTAILED?
THE CORPORATION COUNSEL ASKED FOX ~
oprN1oN-THE HISTORY OF BICYCLING IN

THE CORPORATION COUNSEL ASKED FOR AN
oprS,oN-ruE HISTORY OF BICYCLING IN
AND AROUND PROSPECT PARK
The privilege of riding on the broad Walks arou"a
the outside OF Prospect Park has long been granted
% wheeImen without question and hundreds make
use OF them instead OF going inside OF tne r"'N
and taking the drives The rights OF the wheemeh
to the use Of the walks confirmed last year
and this year by the action of Park Commissioner
Sduer In cutting away the curbstones at se'e'"
OF the entrances 10 allow b!cyce-rders 10 pass
the Park entrances without dismounuhs' anu aSo
by the construction Of bridges across the cutters
at the main entrance and the Coney lslahd en-
trance.
Eut question has now arisen as to the Commits
soner's authority to grant these privileges, ana
there Is a possibility that they may be "ithnra"n
Not long ago a man walking along the outside OF
the Park was knocked down By a wheelman ana
considerably injured; so much 80 that he Is hKey
to be lame for life II Is open question whether
the city might not be held liable in a suit FOR
damages because one Of its officials has permitted
wheelmen to travel where they interfere with the
rights OF pedestrians. The Park Commissioner mas
asked CORPORATION Counsel Mcdonald to furnish him
with an opinion the subject. X Is understood
that Assistant Corporation Counsel Greenwood Is
engaged studying the legal aspects OF the matter
with care. and that he will soon prepare an opinion
on the subject in which he will traverse 1t thor
oughly.
The history OF bicycling in and around Prospect
Park has been interesting. In the early days OF
the wheel there exceedingly strong preJu-
dice against 1t on the part OF horsemen, ana such
q thing as permitting a bicycle on one OF the Park
drives not to be thought Of The use or wheeis
therefore was restricted to the Park walks BY
dint OF strenuous effort the small body OF riders
then in Brooklyn at length secured the use OF the
West Drive during certain hours OF the day. Dut
the walks were still the main haunt and region OF
the bicycle The opening Of the West Drive was
considered notable triumph. and the wheeimen
even had parade in celebration OF the victory
they had won.
RULED OFF THE PARK PATHS.
Then In 1887 came the passage Of the so-called
Liberty BILL declaring the bicycle a vehicle and
giving It the same rights and privileges on all
roads park and other, that other vehicles enjoy.
Another parade OF a small number of enthusiasts
occurred in the way OF formal opening or the
Park drives But still the use of the walks was
allowed In course OF time, however, this was re-
stricted until wheels were allowed on the Park
paths only before o'clock in the morning. That
was the rule up to last year. when some one afoot
was injured or frightened by a bicycle passing
him rapidly early one morning, whereupon he made
a complaint 10 the Mayor, and the Mayor ADVISED
the Commissioner to Danish bicycles from the walks
entirely But this rule was applied only TO the
walks within the PARK, not 10 those surrouihs IT,
and subsequently the Improvements for the beneht
OF wheelmen az already mentioned, were carried
into effect
Then, too last year the Park Commissioner re-
moved one OF the sidewalks on the Ocean Parkway
and substituted for II the famous Cycle fath'
which is now known wherever the bicycle has gone
In the United States: and, working on the same
line he this year took Of the walks on the
Eastern Parkway and made It available for the
use OF wheelmen by regarding 1t and removing
the curbstones at the street crossings.
The rights OF the wheelmen to the use OF certain
sidewalks under the control OF the Park Com
missioner have thus been established and confirmed,
and up to a recent date no opposition thereto
has come from any source. Whether property
owners along the Ocean Parkway. for example,
might not maintain successfully suit for the re-
moval OF the Cycle Path Is a question that the
courts may have 10 answer but certainly tnere
would be a storm OF protest raised. and the wheel
men of Brooklyn and It's vicinity would stoutly
maintain that possession In this case was more
that 999 points OF the law.