NYC DOT begins work on Flatbush Avenue bus priority project

The New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) has begun work on the Flatbush Avenue bus priority project. According to NYC DOT, the project will include center-running bus lanes to deliver faster, more reliable commutes for 132,000 daily bus riders across the entire Flatbush corridor while improving safety on one of Brooklyn, N.Y.'s high-crash corridors. NYC DOT says the project will speed up buses while keeping private vehicles moving along the corridor. 

NYC DOT will begin installing center-running bus lanes on Flatbush Avenue between Livingston Street and State Street, with the remaining work to be completed next year. The project will also include new dedicated loading zones for deliveries, safety enhancements and 28,800 square feet of new pedestrian space. 

"We're excited to begin transformational upgrades that will get Flatbush moving," said NYC DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez. "This project will make bus trips faster and more reliable for commuters and includes new intersection safety upgrades. We look forward to finishing this project in 2026 and appreciate the public's patience as the work takes place." 

Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) New York City Transit President Demetrius Crichlow notes the MTA “applauds the city for taking this big step forward for Brooklyn bus service.”  

Bus and safety challenges 

According to NYC DOT, Flatbush Avenue is one of the most dangerous streets in Brooklyn, with 140 people killed or severely injured within the past five years. MTA estimates that annual ridership of the B41, which serves nearly the entire eight-mile Flatbush Avenue corridor, is over 4.4 million riders, putting it among the 10 busiest bus routes in New York City. Data shows that nearly 60% of the households along Flatbush Avenue do not have access to a personal vehicle. 

NYC DOT says the bus lanes on the northern section of the avenue, from Livingston Street to Grand Army Plaza, is among the slowest on the corridor. Flatbush Avenue serves over 132,000 daily riders across 12 bus routes. NYC DOT notes Flatbush Avenue currently runs on bus speeds slower than four mph at rush hours, which is about the same speed as a pedestrian walking the corridor. 

Flatbush bus lane design and implementation 

With center-running lanes, NYC DOT says it would install concrete bus boarding islands in the street to provide safe spaces for pedestrians to board, disembark and wait to cross the street. According to NYC DOT, the boarding islands would create a train-like service experience for riders while reducing instances of speeding drivers. The project's center-running bus lane design will feature several key elements, including:  

• Six large concrete bus boarding islands to physically separate bus lanes and a high-quality transit experience and additional painted pedestrian space to create 28,800 feet of new pedestrian space. 
• Eleven 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. 

According to NYC DOT, once center-running bus lanes were installed on 161st St. in the Bronx, bus speeds increased up to 43%. A similar design on Edward L Grant Highway in the Bronx saw a decrease in pedestrian and cycling injuries by 29% and a reduction of total injuries by 17%.  

NYC DOT notes Flatbush's bus lanes will be camera enforced through the MTA’s ACE program, as well as stationary NYC DOT cameras, following the painting of the bus lanes and installation of related signage.  

"Breaking ground on the Flatbush Avenue bus priority project lays the groundwork for the implementation of a true bus rapid transit system throughout Brooklyn, which would be a turning point for transit in our borough," said Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso. "For too long, Brooklynites – including the more than 100,000 who travel this corridor every day – have endured slow, unreliable bus service and unsafe streets. By initiating construction on center bus lanes, [NYC] DOT is making it clear: transit can't be an afterthought; it's the future of our borough."