NYC DOT to install center bus lanes on Brooklyn’s high-traffic Flatbush Avenue

The New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) announced that new bus lanes on Flatbush Avenue will be installed this fall after it received public feedback on a block-by-block design that runs from Livingston Street to Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn through downtown Brooklyn, north Park Slope and Prospect Heights. The additions will impact 132,000 daily bus riders across the Flatbush corridor, a high crash corridor according to the agency. The redesign comes following an analysis of traffic patterns that shows the project would reduce cut-through traffic on Flatbush Avenue. The project is expected to reach completion in 2026.

"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," said NYC DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez. "These new bus lanes will speed up bus service and make the street safer for everyone."

Bus and safety challenges

Flatbush Avenue has been deemed a Vision Zero priority corridor, meaning the agency assesses it as one of the most dangerous streets in Brooklyn as 140 people have been killed or severely injured within the last five years. The B41, the bus line to see improvement with the upgrade, serves almost the entire eight-mile Flatbush Avenue and sees 4.4 million riders annually, making it one of the 10 busiest bus routes in the city. The agency notes this ridership total comes from the fact that nearly 60% of the households along the stretch do not have access to a personal vehicle.

The agency is implementing these lanes as riders of bus routes along the avenue can see bus speeds drop to as low as four miles per hour during rush hour traffic conditions.

Flatbush bus lane design and implementation

Beyond the center bus lanes, the agency is also implementing new pedestrian spaces to aid in the flow of traffic and shorten pedestrian crossing lengths. The project also will adjust curb regulations along the avenue to give commercial businesses better support for their delivery needs.

The center-running bus lane design features several key elements, including:  

• Six large concrete bus boarding islands that will span more than 13,000 square feet to create physically separated bus lanes.
• An additional 14,300 square feet of new, painted pedestrian space.
• 11 new dedicated loading zones, which can fit over 50 trucks or 83 passenger vehicles.
• Up to 14 new roadway bike parking areas, which can accommodate more than 170 bikes.

The agency says the center running lanes were the best choice to increase bus speeds and reduce danger to pedestrians by creating physically separate spaces for buses to keep them from conflict with personal vehicles. The agency also noted its previous successes with projects of this type, citing that the center-installed bus lanes on Edward L Grant Highway in the Bronx reduced total injuries for the area by 17%.

To supplement the center-running lanes, NYC DOT will install concrete boarding islands in the street to provide a more train-like experience for riders as they board and exit buses and wait to cross.

Beyond increasing the safety for bus riders, the agency says it expects that the new implantation would also reduce traffic volume on Flatbush Avenue based on its traffic analysis of the area.

Beginning this fall, the agency expects work to be completed by fall of 2026 with lane marking and painted curb extensions being completed before this winter with the rest of the work to be completed when the weather warms next year. 

“By implementing center-running bus lanes on Flatbush Avenue, [NYC] DOT is not only improving commutes down the Flatbush corridor, but also laying the groundwork for the implementation of a true bus rapid transit system throughout Brooklyn,” said Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso. “Hundreds of thousands of Brooklynites rely on our bus system every day – they deserve street infrastructure designed for mass transit and service that is efficient and reliable. I commend [NYC] DOT and Commissioner Rodriguez for investing in one of our most vital transit corridors, and I look forward to continued progress towards a bus rapid transit system that reaches every corner of our borough.”