Mamdani will reveal on Wednesday morning that DOT plans to turn 10-mile stretches of Bergen and Dean Streets, both of which currently have painted bike lanes, into what are known as bike boulevards, his office shared with amNewYork ahead of the planned announcement.
The redesigns will overhaul both corridors, with Bergen Street going west and Dean going east, between East New York Avenue in Ocean Hill and Court Street in Cobble Hill, according to DOT officials.
The planning process is still in the very early stages, with DOT just beginning public outreach to develop its designs, which it plans to unveil later this year, officials said. The project will be completed in phases, with the first phase installed next year and subsequent phases to follow.
Mamdani’s May 6 event will take place after he rides with families who participate in the Bergen Bike Bus — a caravan of children and parents riding bikes together to schools along Bergen Street from Rockaway Avenue to Court Street. The action appeared aimed at emphasizing the importance of making the route safer for children who navigate it via the Bergen Bike Bus every Wednesday morning.
A car travels on Bergen Street in Brooklyn.Photo by Ethan Stark-Miller
“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 ahead of the announcement. “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 mayor was referencing how bike boulevards can incorporate a bevy of street safety upgrades that together prioritize biking and pedestrians, while still allowing some vehicle passage — albeit at slower speeds. Those features can include protected bike lanes, sidewalk extensions, medians, and other traffic-calming measures.
The passages often extend across multiple blocks, so as to create continuous bike routes through neighborhoods.
Bike boulevards are designed to boost safety through measures that slow vehicle speeds and/or physically separate cars from bikers and pedestrians. For instance, protected bike lanes can reduce deaths and serious injuries for everyone by 18.1% and for pedestrians in particular by 29.2%, according to DOT.
The city has installed bike boulevards along corridors, including Brooklyn’s Underhill Avenue, Queens’ 31st Avenue, and Manhattan’s Broadway.
Like Mamdani, DOT Commissioner Mike Flynn emphasized in a statement how the redesigns are aimed at making Bergen and Dean Streets safer for children in particular.
“Streets that are the envy of the world are safe for people of all ages and abilities,” Flynn said. “Biking is a healthy and fun way for children to get exercise, and with the right street design, more students can feel safe and empowered to bike to school without the requirement of a large caravan of parents to protect them. We are so grateful for the parents, volunteers and caregivers of the Bergen Bike Bus and look forward to developing safer Bergen and Dean streets that will benefit all New Yorkers using these corridors each day.”