A portion of Linden Boulevard, an east-west thoroughfare in Brooklyn, will get a major facelift, with new bus lanes and pedestrian refuge islands to shorten crossing distances on the high-traffic corridor that, in parts, has eight vehicular lanes.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani and New York City Department of Transportation Commissioner Mike Flynn on Tuesday said the project would improve traffic and pedestrian safety along the boulevard, one of Brooklyn’s most dangerous corridors, from Fountain to Conduit Avenues in East New York.
Beginning in late 2026, DOT will install eight new bus boarding islands, which will also serve as pedestrian refuge islands and shorten crossing distances. The agency will add two new signalized intersections at Pine Street and Emerald Street to reduce gaps between crosswalks and better connect East New York and the Jewel Streets area. Five slip lanes will be closed or redesigned to improve safety and support bus operations, officials said.
The project will benefit riders on six routes: B13, B14, B15, B20, BM5 and Q8. Faster and more reliable service will improve connections to the A, C, J, Z, L and 3 subway lines, as well as to JFK Airport, Brookdale Hospital and Gateway Center, officials said.
“This project will deliver faster, more reliable buses for the 60,000 New Yorkers who rely on them every day — parents getting their kids to school, workers trying to clock in on time, families picking up groceries on the way home,” Mamdani said in a statement. “And redesigning this historically dangerous corridor will make it safer for everyone who has to cross it. When we make our buses faster and our streets safer, we’re making a clear choice about the kind of city we want to be: one that puts people first.”
Along the Linden corridor, 54% of residents commute via public transportation and 57% of households do not have access to a private vehicle. The nearest subway station is more than a half-mile away, officials said.
Between 2021 and 2025, the corridor recorded 443 traffic injuries, including 15 severe injuries and one fatality. Linden Boulevard is designated a Vision Zero Priority Corridor, meaning it ranks among the highest in Brooklyn for pedestrian deaths and serious injuries per mile.
The redesign aligns with the community vision outlined in the city’s Jewel Streets Neighborhood Plan, which calls for a safer, more active corridor with new housing, businesses and community services.
The DOT is hosting a second round of public workshops beginning this week. Click here to register for the virtual meeting taking place on April 21 from 7:00pm. The next in-person meeting is on April 23, at P.S. 159 Isaac Pitkin, at 2781 Pitkin Ave., between 7:00pm and 8:30pm.
Construction on the project is expected to finish in 2027.
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