The city Department of Transportation on Thursday said it will start redesigning Flatbush Avenue at the end of April, bringing center-running bus lanes.
NYC DOT will resume the installation of center-running bus lanes on Flatbush Avenue, which began last fall, between Livingston Street and Grand Army Plaza. The redesign will serve the B41, one of Brooklyn’s busiest bus routes, as well as the B67, B69, B63, B45 and B103.
The Flatbush Avenue project will also include dedicated loading zones, safety improvements and 29,000-square-feet of new pedestrian space. Construction is expected to continue into fall 2026.
“It can often be as fast to walk as it is to take a bus on Flatbush Avenue — and with over 100,000 riders relying on the bus to get around, that must change,” DOT Commissioner Mike Flynn said in a statement.
Drivers are encouraged to use alternative routes, take mass transit or allow additional travel time, officials said.
The project will be completed in four phases. Work will begin with removal of two concrete pedestrian islands, followed by reconstruction of each half of the avenue to preserve two-way traffic on one side at all times.
- Phase 1: Removal of two concrete islands at Flatbush Avenue and Atlantic Avenue.
- Phase 2: Reconstruction of one side, including removal of existing roadway markings, installation of concrete elements and the addition of temporary markings, bus stops and reroutes.
- Phase 3: Reconstruction of the opposite side.
- Phase 4: Installation of final markings, signage, signals and street elements, including bike corrals and flexible posts.
“Time is money, and too often, our city has taken both from working people who rely on our buses,” Mayor Zohran Mamdani said. “These center-running bus lanes will give New Yorkers back something precious: time with their families, time at work, time in their communities. Long waits and unreliable service are not inevitable — they are the result of political choices. Today, we are choosing a system that puts bus riders first and builds safer streets for everyone.”
