Biketober: NYC DOT Begins Cycling Access Upgrade to Brooklyn Bridge, Announces Bicycle Events for
October
Project will upgrade chronically blocked bike lane leading to Brooklyn Bridge, DUMBO
Agency announces free helmet and bike light giveaways across five boroughs
NYC DOT is kicking off Biketober with construction to improve cycling access to the Brooklyn
Bridge in Brooklyn. Credit: NYC DOT
NEW YORK – New York City Department of Transportation Commissioner Mike Flynn today kicked off
October, known as “Biketober,” by announcing road work is starting this upcoming week to deliver critical bike lane
upgrades on Boerum Place and Adams Street for the thousands of daily cyclists traveling over the Brooklyn Bridge.
Commissioner Flynn also announced a host of free helmet and bike light giveaways, safety education classes, and free
learn-to-ride lessons with Bike New York across the five boroughs, where New Yorkers can engage with NYC DOT bike
network planners.
Biketober is an annual celebration of cycling, expanding accessibility and affordability of riding to all New
Yorkers. It is hosted during October, when weather is ideal for biking and when ridership in New York City is
generally at its highest levels. For a list of events, visit NYC DOT’s bike events webpage.
“The Mamdani administration believes all New Yorkers should feel safe navigating our streets—and that means cyclists
shouldn’t have to navigate around illegally parked cars every day on Adams Street on the way to the Brooklyn Bridge.
This Biketober, we’re excited to deliver this critical safety and connectivity upgrade,” said NYC DOT
Commissioner Mike Flynn. “To celebrate October, which has the best weather for cycling, we’ll be
hosting events to give out free helmets and bike lights, and host safety education outreach for riders in all five
boroughs.”
“A safer, better-connected bike network doesn’t just change how New Yorkers move—it opens the door for more people to
experience the freedom, independence, and joy that bicycling brings,” said Ken Podziba, CEO of Bike New
York. “We’re thrilled to see these important upgrades to Boerum Place and Adams Street moving forward,
creating a safer, more protected connection to the Brooklyn Bridge that will encourage even more New Yorkers to
choose bicycling for their daily trips. We’re proud to partner with NYC DOT on Biketober and on efforts across the
five boroughs that combine safer infrastructure with education, free helmets and bike lights, and learn-to-ride
opportunities. Together, we’re making bicycling safer, more accessible, and more inviting—and helping New Yorkers
discover everything that cycling can add to their lives.”
BIKE LANE UPGRADES
An example of the bike lane upgrades coming to Boreum Place/Adams Street, to improve access to the
Brooklyn
Bridge. Credit: NYC DOT
An average of 5,625 daily cyclists commute over the Brooklyn Bridge each day, a 112% increase since NYC DOT opened
the bike-only lane in 2021, when 2,652 average daily cyclists were recorded crossing the span.
To improve connections for riders, NYC DOT has begun work to redesign Adams Street to upgrade bike infrastructure,
between Bergen Street, where Adams Street is called Boerum Place, up to Front Street, which, when completed, will
cover just over one mile from Boerum Hill to DUMBO. As part of the redesign, NYC DOT will convert the standard bike
lane on Adams Street/Boerum Place to a two-way protected bike path, from Bergen Street to Johnson Street.
NYC DOT will begin in 2026 with implementation on the segment of Adams Street/Boerum Place between Atlantic Avenue
and Tillary Street, with the segment between Bergen Street and Atlantic to be installed next year.
The current standard bike lane on Adams Street is frequently blocked by illegal double parking, even though more than
1,300 cyclists were observed riding the street during a typical weekday.
The two-way protected path will provide critical upgrades to the Brooklyn Bridge, the protected bike lanes on
Schermerhorn Street, and future bike boulevard upgrades in early development for Bergen and Dean Streets.
In DUMBO, NYC DOT will also add a protected bike lane on Adams Street, from Sands Street to York Street, and a
standard lane on the block north, between York Street and Front Street.
The agency will also upgrade the standard bike lane on Sands Street from Jay Street to Adams Street.
The work builds on years of continuous efforts to improve connections to the Brooklyn Bridge and other East River
bridges, which serve more than 30,000 daily cyclists. In 2021, NYC DOT installed the first dedicated bike path on
the Brooklyn Bridge and, earlier this year, further protected pedestrians and cyclists with improvements
to the Manhattan side of the span.
“More than 30,000 cyclists cross the East River bridges every day, and they deserve safe, reliable connections on
both sides,” said Representative Nydia M. Velázquez. I’m pleased to see these long-needed upgrades
moving forward in Downtown Brooklyn, making it safer and easier for cyclists traveling between Brooklyn and
Manhattan.”
“The difference between an unprotected and protected bike lane is like night and day for cyclists. Making these
upgrades will bring increased safety for the thousands that cross Brooklyn Bridge each day and will make the lane
more effective by preventing vehicles from illegally double parking in it,” said City Council Majority
Leader and Chair of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Shaun Abreu. “This is especially
timely ahead of the Biketober celebrations, which bring our highest ridership. I applaud Mayor Mamdani and
Commissioner Flynn for continuing to deliver safer infrastructure for New Yorkers.”
“There’s no better way to kick off Biketober than by breaking ground on our long-awaited protected bike lane on Adams
St / Boerum Place. Instead of encountering a bike lane to nowhere and rampant illegal parking when coming off the
Brooklyn Bridge, our community is getting a much safer street for pedestrians, cyclists, drivers and bus riders,”
said City Council Member Lincoln Restler. “Bike ridership on the Brooklyn Bridge soared nearly 200%
between 2020 and 2025, and I hope to see ridership expand even more quickly with our new network of protected lanes
in Downtown Brooklyn. I’m grateful to our excellent partners at the Department of Transportation for listening to
our community’s demands for safer streets and responding with the Adams St redesign we deserve.”
“The Brooklyn Bridge moves thousands of bike riders every day, but reaching the bridge from Brooklyn can still feel
dangerous,” said Ben Furnas, Executive Director of Transportation Alternatives. “These upgrades on
Adams Street and Boerum Place will ensure that many more riders have a safe connection to the Brooklyn Bridge, the
Schermerhorn protected bike lane, and eventually, the bike boulevards on Bergen and Dean. We look forward to riding
on these new upgrades and working together with DOT on the upcoming bike improvements throughout Brooklyn.”
“We’re very pleased that NYC DOT is kicking off ‘Biketober’ by announcing the start of work on significant upgrades
to cycling infrastructure on Boerum Place and Adams Street,” said Eric McClure, executive director of
StreetsPAC. “The Brooklyn Bridge is a critical piece of New York City’s cycling network, and making it
easier and safer to access the bridge from the Brooklyn side will be a game-changer for the thousands of New Yorkers
who ride over the bridge every day. We’re grateful to Commissioner Flynn and his team for getting this work underway
in 2026.”
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