On Friday night, a 28-year-old runner preparing for the New York City Marathon was stabbed in the neck on the Belt Parkway bike path in Bath Beach, Brooklyn. When she did not come home, her father went searching and found her. She remains in critical condition, and police have not identified a suspect or a motive.

The attack happened just after 8 p.m. near Bay Parkway and Cropsey Avenue, on a waterfront path that runners, cyclists and families rely on every day. Residents now say they feel far less safe using it after dark.

New York State Senator Steve Chan is calling for more lighting along the path. A rebuilt footbridge from 17th Avenue brought new wiring to the area, and a few lights are expected, but “they need more,” Chan told ABC7 New York.

Lighting is only part of the answer. A person in danger on a long, isolated stretch of path needs a fast way to call for help. Police are now asking anyone who was near the path between 7:56 p.m. and 8:12 p.m. that night to come forward, a reminder of how little can be seen or recorded there.

The NYC Department of Transportation (DOT) and NYC Parks should install bright, continuous lighting along the Belt Parkway path, starting with the stretch from Bay 8th Street to Bay 17th Street. They should add emergency call boxes and security cameras at regular intervals, and the New York Police Department (NYPD) should add regular evening patrols. Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the City Council can fund these fixes right away.

No one should have to choose between training for a goal and getting home safely. Sign the petition to demand lights, call boxes and cameras on the Belt Parkway path before anyone else is hurt.