Dear fellow Albanians,

The undersigned individuals and organizations wish to express our common interest in calling attention to safety needs within Washington Park.  We hold Washington Park, the crown jewel of Albany’s city parks, in special regard for its natural beauty, its historic charm, and its important role as a place of recreation and respite in the center of our city.

The current design of roadways in Washington Park encourages automobiles to travel at high speeds and make fast turns, and does not safely enable families to use the park on foot or bicycle. While vehicular access to the park is necessary—for those who visit the park and for ambulances headed toward the hospital—the park’s roads should not be high-speed short-cuts at the expense of the safety of park users.

We aspire to see Washington Park once again be a quiet place where children can learn to ride a bicycle, pedestrians can easily cross paths, and people of all abilities can relax. This can be achieved while preserving the historic beauty of the park and maintaining low-speed vehicular access.

We call on Albany’s community, our government, and our community organizations to come together for the purpose of improving our park. There are a number of solutions that could reduce the speed of traffic in Washington Park, and increase the safety of all park users. We believe that as our city continues to grow, we should focus on strengthening community spaces like Washington Park—places that make Albany the beautiful city we love.

Sincerely,