Brooklyn bike lane plans come to screeching halt
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 15: An electric bicycle stands parked in the streets of Manhattan on November 15, 2022 in New York City. Electric bicycles, which have surged in popularity with both delivery workers and commuters, run on lithium-ion bat
BROOKLYN - New York City's Department of Transportation (DOT) has paused the implementation of bike lanes in the southern section of Brooklyn.
Bike network expansion
What we know:
New York City's DOT introduced plans for a painted bike lane network for certain parts of Brooklyn, including areas in Flatbush, Midwood and Kensington, in June 2023.
Brooklyn Community Board 14 identified the area as a Priority Bicycle District due to the high number of bicyclists killed or seriously injured in the district.
The project stalled for over a year, but an updated plan was proposed in November 2024. The proposed plan stated that installation of the bike lanes in the selected areas would begin as early as May 2025.
‘The community wasn’t asked'
The other side:
On May 16, New York City Council Minority Whip Inna Vernikov stated that the DOT began building a bike lane in the section of Midwood she represents "without any community input, approval, notifications or consultation with the elected officials representing the area."
Vernikov, along with New York State Assemblymembers Simcha Eichenstein and Kalman Yeger, asked the DOT to immediately stop building the lanes.
"When an agency wants to bring projects like shelters and bike lanes into a neighborhood the community that resides there must be on board."
Vernikov confirmed that the bike lane implementation in the southern section of Brooklyn was paused earlier today, May 20, after speaking with Brooklyn Borough Commissioner Keith Bray and Brooklyn Community Board 14.
The Source: This article includes reporting from proposals from the New York City Department of Transportation, as well as posts made by Councilwoman Inna Vernikov.