New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez has announced that the DOT will begin installing new bus lanes on Flatbush Avenue this fall, running from Livingston Street to Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn through Downtown Brooklyn, north Park Slope, and Prospect Heights.
The project is expected to improve times and reliability of commutes for 132,000 daily riders across the Flatbush corridor, with a completion date currently aimed for 2026.
The project was approved following extensive community engagement, and will see a block-by-block design along the corridor for centre-running bus lanes implemented.
NYC DOT has proposed bus lanes at the northern section of the avenue, rom Livingston Street to Grand Army Plaza, where bus service is currently the slowest at four miles per hour.
The agency has also begun advancements of a plan for centre-running bus lanes for Flatbush Avenue between Livingston Street and Grand Army Plaza, with new pedestrian spaces to both improve traffic safety and reduce pedestrian crossing distances.
The new centre-running design features the installation of six large concrete bus boarding islands, an additional 14,300 square feet of new pedestrian space, eleven new dedicated loading zones (capable of fitting more than 50 trucks or 83 passenger vehicles) and up to 14 new roadway bike parking areas (which can accommodate over 170 bikes).
NYC DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez, said:We are excited to get Flatbush Avenue moving. Today 132,000 daily bus riders are stuck waiting too long for slow buses, drivers are caught in a mess of traffic, and pedestrians are left crossing intersections clogged with vehicles.
These new bus lanes will speed up bus service and make the street safer for everyone.
The NYC DOT recently installed centre-running bus lanes on the Edward L Grant Highway in the Bronx, which has subsequently seen decreases in pedestrian and cycling injuries by 29% and a reduction in total injuries of 17%.
Work to install bus lane markings and painted curb extensions will begin this fall, with work set to resume once weather warms in spring 2026.
