Two high-use cycling corridors that run through several Brooklyn neighborhoods will be transformed by the Department of Transportation under Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s administration later this year, our sister publication, amNewYork, has learned exclusively.
Mamdani revealed Wednesday morning that the DOT plans to redesign 10-mile stretches of Bergen and Dean streets, both with currently painted bike lanes. The proposal will include what are known as “bicycle boulevards,” his office told amNewYork before the official announcement.
The redesign will span both corridors: westbound Bergen Street and eastbound Dean Street, between East New York Avenue in Ocean Hill and Court Street in Cobble Hill, according to DOT officials.
The planning process is still in the early stages. The DOT is just beginning community outreach to develop the designs, which will be unveiled later this year. The agency set up an online portal to collect public comments as a starting point.
The project will be carried out in phases: the first stage will be installed next year and the following phases will be developed subsequently.
Mamdani made the announcement May 6 while pedaling with families participating in the “Bergen Bike Bus,” a caravan of children and parents who ride bikes together to schools along Bergen Street, from Rockaway Avenue to Court Street. The activity, carried out on Bike to School Day, sought to highlight the importance of making the route safer for the children who use it every Wednesday morning.
“Bike boulevards give families the peace of mind they need to start the day right: enjoying a safe and easy ride to school,” Mamdani said in a statement ahead of the announcement. “From protected lanes to safer intersections, these redesigns make our streets work for people and encourage our youngest neighbors to become lifelong cyclists.”
The mayor referred to how these boulevards can include various road safety improvements that prioritize cyclists and pedestrians, although they allow vehicles to pass at a slower speed. These measures may include protected lanes, sidewalk extensions, medians, and other traffic calming strategies.
These corridors typically span several blocks to create continuous cycling routes within neighborhoods.
Bicycle boulevards are designed to increase safety through measures that reduce vehicle speeds and/or physically separate cars from cyclists and pedestrians. According to the DOT, protected lanes can reduce deaths and serious injuries by 18.1% and, in the case of pedestrians, by 29.2%.
When asked about the impact on the B65 bus route that runs on both streets, the DOT indicated that it could be relocated as part of the MTA’s planned redesign of the Brooklyn bus network this year.
The city has already installed bike boulevards in corridors such as Underhill Avenue in Brooklyn, 31st Avenue in Queens, and Broadway in Manhattan.
Like Mamdani, DOT Commissioner Mike Flynn noted that the redesigns aim to improve safety, especially for children.
“The streets that are the envy of the world are safe for people of all ages and abilities,” Flynn said. “Bicycling is a healthy and fun form of exercise for children, and with the right street design, more students can feel safe and empowered to bike to school without needing large caravans of parents to protect them.”
Cycling and safe streets advocates welcomed the initiative.
Ben Furnas, CEO of Transportation Alternatives, said the group is celebrating the start of the public participation phase of a project they have pushed for years.
“For years, our activists have fought for a bicycle boulevard on the important east-west route of Bergen and Dean Street, and we are excited that this project has finally entered the planning process,” he said. “As always, we will continue to organize to achieve the most ambitious redesign possible, so that seniors, parents and children feel comfortable and safe bicycling in Bergen and Dean.”
