Bike boulevards planned for Brooklyn’s Bergen and Dean Streets

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Mayor Zohran Mamdani took to Brooklyn on two wheels Wednesday to announce plans for 10-mile “bike boulevards” along Bergen and Dean Streets. Joining the Bergen Bike Bus, a weekly caravan of parents and students who bike to school together, Mamdani said the city’s Department of Transportation will redesign the two streets between Court Street and East New York Avenue to prioritize cyclists and pedestrians while maintaining local vehicle access. The multi-phase project is still in its early stages, with DOT beginning public outreach through an online feedback portal as it develops design plans expected to be released later this year.

Both streets serve as key cycling corridors, with Bergen Street running westbound and Dean Street running eastbound between East New York Avenue in Ocean Hill and Court Street in Cobble Hill.

The Bergen Bike Bus hosts rides every Wednesday from East New York to Downtown Brooklyn, with a spur south along 4th Avenue. Riders’ progress can be tracked in real time.

According to DOT, bike boulevards vary by location and may include features such as protected bike lanes, sidewalk extensions, medians, traffic-calming measures, and pedestrian improvements. Protected bike lanes have been shown to reduce deaths and serious injuries by 18.1 percent for all road users and by 29.2 percent for pedestrians.

The corridors are designed to reduce traffic and speeds, creating safer, more comfortable routes for riders of all ages and abilities. Similar infrastructure was installed on Astoria’s 31st Avenue last July and on Williamsburg’s Berry Street in November 2023.

“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. “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.”

“It was such a joy to ride with the families of the Bergen Bike Bus, who have for years strapped on their helmets and pulled out their bikes to show the need for better cycling infrastructure. Now, we’re building a city that meets that vision,” the mayor added.

Work on the redesign will be coordinated with several ongoing planning efforts, including the Atlantic Avenue Mixed-Use Plan, the Grand Army Plaza–Prospect Heights Public Realm Plan, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Brooklyn bus network redesign, and the Flatbush Avenue busway project.

The announcement is part of broader bike-related initiatives by the Mamdani administration during National Bike Month. This week, the DOT launched a feedback portal for the city’s secure bike parking program and released the 2026 Bike Map, which details the city’s bike lane network.

Ben Furnas, executive director of Transportation Alternatives, celebrated the project and said the group would continue advocating for the “most ambitious” redesign.

“Today’s announcement is a great step forward for people who walk and bike in Brooklyn,” Furnas said. “For years, our activists have been fighting for a bike boulevard along the critical east-west route of Bergen and Dean Streets, and we’re excited this critical project has finally reached the planning process.”

“As always, we’ll keep organizing for the most ambitious possible redesign, so that seniors, parents and kids alike feel comfortable and safe biking on Bergen and Dean,” he added.

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This post was originally published here.