TODAY, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced in the Bronx that the New York City Department of Transportation will restart four previously halted street redesign projects to deliver faster, more reliable bus service and improve traffic safety across the Bronx and Brooklyn.
"For too long, New Yorkers have been told to wait as long overdue improvements to our transit system were blocked time and again. That ends now," said Zohran Kwame Mamdani. "Today, we're moving forward with faster, more reliable buses for the 130,000 New Yorkers who depend on them every single day. Today, we build safer streets for New Yorkers who walk, bike, or drive in their own neighborhoods. And this is just the start - it's part of a larger commitment to bold, systemic change that gives New Yorkers the transit system and streetscape they deserve."
"New Yorkers deserve fast, reliable bus service and to feel safe when they're traveling with their families and loved ones on city streets," said NYC DOT Commissioner Mike Flynn. "These projects will improve the quality of life for so many New Yorkers - but until today many were stalled because of politics. This is just the beginning. We are doubling down on delivering on our buses and street safety while building trust in community engagement."
"This project is a Valentine to the tens of thousands of bus riders who cross Fordham Road every day," said MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber. "New Yorkers are fortunate to have pro-transit leaders like Mayor Mamdani and Governor Hochul who share our goal of delivering faster, more reliable transit service."
"We're heartened that the Mamdani administration is committing to unsticking stalled projects across New York City," said Ben Furnas, Executive Director of Transportation Alternatives. "Bus riders in the Bronx deserve the best possible streets to get buses moving faster. We are very excited to see vital new connections and protections for people on foot and on bikes in the Brooklyn network, and to be able to bike from Bay Ridge to the Bronx on fully protected infrastructure thanks to the finished connections at Ashland. The work doesn't end here, and we'll keep partnering with City Hall and DOT to build the city that New Yorkers deserve."
"Today is proof that the Mamdani administration is serious about equity and safety across the city. Reactivating these street safety projects will help thousands of New Yorkers move through our streets with ease and security. We are especially glad to see priority given to improvements like hardened daylighting-clearing and protecting space at intersections with physical barriers-which dramatically improves visibility for pedestrians and drivers, preventing crashes before they occur," said Sara Lind, Co-Executive Director of Open Plans. "More bus lanes, bike lanes, and hardened daylighting are tangible improvements that New Yorkers will benefit from immediately. We are heartened to see the Mamdani administration investing in these quality of life improvements across the city."
Implementation of the following projects is scheduled to begin this spring:
Fordham Road Bus Lane
Fordham Road is the busiest bus corridor in the Bronx, serving an average of 130,000 daily riders across the Bx12, Bx9, Bx17 and Bx22. NYC DOT will install offset bus lanes along Fordham Road between Sedgwick Ave and Boston Road. In this section of the Bronx, 62% of households do not have access to a private vehicle and 71% of residents rely on public transit, biking, or walking.
The agency will finalize designs in the coming months with community stakeholder engagement and complete the project this year. NYC DOT traffic analysis shows offset bus lanes will provide the greatest speed and reliability benefits. The agency will monitor and evaluate bus speeds after implementation. A recent conversion of curbside bus lanes to offset lanes on Hillside Avenue increase bus speeds by up to 28%.
Ashland Place Bike Lane
NYC DOT will complete the final block of the protected bike lane on Ashland Place in Brooklyn's Fort Greene neighborhood. The project will convert the southernmost block of Ashland Place, known as 'Crashland,' from a two-way street to a one-way street and add a two-way protected bike lane.
Completing this final segment will create a continuous protected bike route from Sunset Park to DUMBO, with connections extending to Greenpoint and Queens.
As part of the redesign, NYC DOT will convert the last block of Hanson Place, from St. Felix Street to Ashland Place, into a "shared street," significantly expanding pedestrian space and enhancing public space improvements.
Midwood, Flatbush, and East Flatbush Bike Lanes.
Midwood, Flatbush and East Flatbush have high cycling rates but limited bus infrastructure. This spring, NYC DOT will implement a long-delayed plan to build a bike lane network across neighborhoods represented by Brooklyn Community Boards 14 and 17.
The agency will install parking-protected bike lanes to Cortelyou and Dorchester roads in Ditmas Park, from Coney Island Avenue to Flatbush Avenue. Standard bike lanes will be added to 14 additional streets in Flatbush, East Flatbush and Midwood, along with intersection upgrades to improve visibility and safety.
Protected bike lanes have shown to reduce traffic deaths and serious injuries by 18% for all street users.
Brooklyn And Kingston Ave Bike Lanes
More than 10 schools sit within a block of Brooklyn and Kingston avenues in Central Brooklyn. Over the five-year period between 2021 through 2025, the corridors saw 65 injuries, with pedestrians and cyclists accounting for 60% of serious injuries.
To better protect students traveling to and from school, NYC DOT will install parking-protected bike lanes along both corridors from East New York Avenue to Wingate Park at Winthrop Street. A new protected bike lane loop will also surround Wingate Park.
In addition, conventional bike lanes will be added along Rutland Road and Fenimore Street in Prospect-Lefferts Gardens between Flatbush and Brooklyn avenues.
