New York City is investing over $40 million in street safety improvements and new public spaces in Downtown Brooklyn. Last week, Mayor Eric Adams said the investment will be put towards improvements along Fulton Street and Flatbush Avenue, with plans for improved pedestrian space, bus service, new public art, and safety upgrades to the streetscape.
FULTON STREETSCAPE IMPROVEMENTS
As part of the project, NYC Parks will reinvigorate Fulton Street to support its active commercial uses by adding street trees, improving tree pits, and adding seating — all contributing to a more attractive streetscape.
FLATBUSH AVENUE PEDESTRIAN + SAFETY UPGRADES
DOT is working with partner agencies on the design for a major, $32 million capital project to expand pedestrian space and improve traffic safety at five intersections of Flatbush Avenue between Livingston Street and Pacific Street. The project will widen sidewalks with concrete extensions and shorten crossing distances while adding street furniture and street trees to beautify the corridor. The project includes building a raised shared street at the corner of Ashland Place and Hanson Place, along the Williamsburg Savings Bank frontage, to create a pedestrian-focused node at the Atlantic Terminal and complement plans for a protected bike lane along Ashland Place and Navy Street. A shared street, also known as a “pedestrian-priority” street, is a roadway designed for slow travel speeds where pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists all share the right of way.
DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN TRANSPORTATION + PUBLIC REALM IMPROVEMENTS
Ashland Place and Navy Street Protected Bike Lanes: Filling a critical gap in Brooklyn’s bicycle lane network, DOT will install protected bike lanes and pedestrian safety improvements on Ashland Place and Navy Street, between Hanson Place and Flushing Avenue, and a slow street on Hanson Place, between St. Felix Street and Ashland Place, later this year. The project plan includes converting Ashland Place to one-way northbound, between Hanson Place and DeKalb Avenue, and converting Hanson Place to one-way westbound, between St. Felix Street and Ashland Place.
Livingston Street Bus Priority Project: This summer, DOT will create two-way, dedicated bus-only lanes on Livingston Street between Flatbush Avenue and Boerum Place, with physical protection and bus boarding islands east of Gallatin Place. The project will make commutes faster and more reliable for 50,000 daily bus riders along the corridor. For general traffic west of Gallatin Place, Livingston Street will remain two-way; east of Gallatin Place, general traffic will be westbound only, with metered parking along the north curb. Additional pedestrian islands and painted pedestrian space will be created to shorten crossing distances and improve pedestrian safety.
Fleet Place and Willoughby Street Intersection Upgrade: This project will reconfigure the parking field at Fleet Place and Willoughby Street to install standard parallel parking spaces — creating a large painted pedestrian space that will feature asphalt art, shortening the crosswalk distance by 75 percent, and allowing for a new stop-controlled crosswalk across Willoughby Street. Implementation is scheduled for July.
