City officials on Wednesday announced plans to redesign the bike lanes on Bergen and Dean Streets, from Court Street to East New York Avenue.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani and New York City Department of Transportation Commissioner Mike Flynn rode with students and families from the Bergen Bike Bus to announce plans for a street safety redesign plans, which includes a bike boulevard, a street design that prioritizes cyclists and pedestrians while maintaining local vehicle access.
The 10-mile east-west bike corridors are heavily used by the Brooklyn Bike Bus, a caravan of parents and students travelling to school together.
“Bike boulevards give families the peace of mind they need to start the day right: by enjoying a safe, easy ride to school,” Mamdani said in a statement. “From protected bike lanes to safer crossings, these redesigns make our streets work for people and encourage our youngest neighbors to grow into lifelong riders."
The project will be implemented in phases and the city will release a design proposal later this year, with the first phase targeted for installation in 2027.
The redesign will be coordinated with several ongoing planning efforts, including the Atlantic Avenue Mixed Use Plan (AAMUP), the Flatbush Avenue busway, the Grand Army Plaza-Prospect Heights Public Realm Plan and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Brooklyn Bus Network Redesign, officials said.
Bike boulevards will vary by neighborhood and may include protected bike lanes, sidewalk extensions, medians, traffic-calming measures and pedestrian improvements. Protected bike lanes have been shown to reduce deaths and serious injuries for all road users by 18.1% and for pedestrians by 29.2%, officials said.
“Biking to school is an active and fun way to start the day," said Bergen Bike Bus organizers. "Bergen is a bike route in name, and now DOT can begin to transform it into a true Bike Boulevard, where kids, parents and all road users feel comfortable and safe."
The DOT also launched a new online feedback portal to begin public engagement.
