Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and New York City Department of Transportation Commissioner Mike Flynn announced on April 21 plans to install new bus lanes and safety improvements along Linden Boulevard in East New York, Brooklyn. The project aims to provide faster buses and safer streets for the corridor, which is known as one of Brooklyn’s most dangerous roadways.
The initiative seeks to benefit approximately 60,000 daily bus riders while improving connections between neighborhoods that have long been divided by the boulevard. Officials said that currently, a person is injured in a traffic crash every four days along this stretch.
“This project will deliver faster, more reliable buses for the 60,000 New Yorkers who rely on them every day — parents getting their kids to school, workers trying to clock in on time, families picking up groceries on the way home,” said Mayor Mamdani. “And redesigning this historically dangerous corridor will make it safer for everyone who has to cross it. When we make our buses faster and our streets safer, we’re making a clear choice about the kind of city we want to be: one that puts people first.”
Commissioner Flynn said the changes would help deliver fast buses for residents where public transit is vital due to limited subway access. “With the nearest subway a far walk away, residents here must cross ten lanes of vehicle traffic just to board buses that end up stuck in traffic, behind double-parked cars — that is going to change under the Mamdani administration,” Flynn said.
Other city officials voiced support for the plan. Housing Preservation and Development Commissioner Dina Levy called Linden Boulevard “a critical corridor” and highlighted how infrastructure investment supports future affordable housing growth. MTA NYC Transit President Demetrius Crichlow described dedicated bus lanes as “gamechangers” that improve safety and service across multiple transit lines.
The planned upgrades include eight new bus boarding islands serving as pedestrian refuges, two new signalized intersections at Pine Street and Emerald Street, closure or redesign of five slip lanes for improved safety, and better connections with six major subway lines as well as key destinations like JFK Airport and Brookdale Hospital. Over half of local residents commute via public transportation while most households do not own private vehicles; currently there are significant gaps between safe crossings.
Linden Boulevard has been designated a Vision Zero Priority Corridor due to its high rate of pedestrian deaths and serious injuries per mile between 2021–2025. The redesign aligns with community priorities set out in recent neighborhood planning efforts led by city agencies focused on creating safer corridors with expanded services.
Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso praised these improvements as an important step toward increased connectivity while State Senator Roxanne J. Persaud called it “a critical step toward making our communities safer.” Council Member Chris Banks emphasized that public safety depends on ongoing investments like these dedicated lanes and crossings.
NYC DOT expects construction work along Linden Boulevard will begin later this year with completion anticipated by 2027.
