By COLlive reporter
Initial construction has begun on New York City’s controversial bike-lane project in Crown Heights, with city crews installing pedestrian ramps along busy avenues to accommodate the new lanes.
Under the current plan, protected bike lanes will be installed on Kingston and Brooklyn avenues from East New York Avenue south to Winthrop Street. Standard bike lanes will also be added along Rutland Road and Winthrop Street between Kingston and Brooklyn avenues.
The project is part of a citywide effort to expand New York City’s bicycle network. The original proposal called for the protected lanes to begin at Empire Boulevard. However, after the Jewish Future Alliance conducted a survey in which more than 900 people participated, with 90% opposing the plan, and after Beth Rivkah raised concerns, the Department of Transportation revised the route to begin at East New York Avenue.
Bike-lane projects fall under the authority of the Department of Transportation commissioner, who is appointed by the mayor. Although local elected officials are typically consulted and may publicly support or oppose a project, they do not have the authority to approve or block it.
In February, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced that the city would restart construction on four previously halted street redesign projects in the Bronx and Brooklyn, including new bike lanes in Crown Heights.
Opponents fear incidents similar to those reported in Williamsburg, where children getting off yeshiva buses have been struck by cyclists, could occur in Crown Heights.
They argue that the risks could be even greater on Brooklyn Avenue because the roadway is relatively open and slopes downhill, potentially allowing cyclists, mopeds, e-bikes and e-scooters to travel at higher speeds.
Council Member Rita Joseph told COLlive that traffic safety is personal to her.
“I have seen firsthand the pain that traffic tragedies cause families,” Joseph said. “I lost a cousin to a drunk driver, and throughout my teaching career, three students in my classes were killed in motor-vehicle accidents. This is personal to me.”
“I support measures that will make our streets safer, including bike lanes,” she continued. “But I believe these projects must include meaningful input from the community, as well as from professionals who specialize in transportation and public safety when decisions are made about specific designs.”
On July 22, a Flatbush coalition filed an Article 78 proceeding against New York City seeking to stop the planned installation of bike lanes in the neighborhood. The lawsuit followed opposition from all the local elected officials representing the affected area, including Council Members Simcha Felder and Inna Vernikov and Assembly Members Simcha Eichenstein and Kalman Yeger.
It remains unclear whether the Flatbush challenge will succeed. In January, Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Inga O’Neale dismissed a lawsuit filed by the Court Street Merchants Association seeking to overturn another protected bike-lane project in Downtown Brooklyn.
“The DOT has broad authority over New York City streets,” the court stated, including the power to “establish, determine, control, install and maintain the design, type, size and location” of signs, signals, markings and other devices used to regulate traffic.
The decision also noted that the DOT has authority over “designing, constructing and repairing public roads” and that the City Council has directed the agency “to prioritize the installation of protected bike lanes and pedestrian safety features on the City’s streets.”
