Image Credit: NYC DOT.
On January 10, 2024, the New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez announced the completion of Downtown Brooklyn’s Livingston Street redesign. The redesign has created close to a mile of new bus lanes and intersection redesign between Boerum Place to Flatbush Avenue. The purpose of this project is to encourage faster and more reliable bus service for those in the area while cracking down on illegal and unsafe parking. Bus routes on the B41, B45, B67, and B103 will benefit from this redesign and passengers will have increased access to connections with the subway lines 2, 3, 4, 5, A, C, and G.
The project created fully separated dedicated bus lines, shifting Livingston Street from a two-way to a one-way westbound street for general traffic. The added two-way bus lanes will be on the south side of the street while the general traffic, parking, and loading will now be on the north side. A main goal of the redesign was to increase public safety which has been accomplished through the creation of concrete bus boarding islands and plastic barriers, thus keeping buses and passengers protected from general traffic. In addition to benefits for bus passengers, new loading regulations, including commercial meters, have been added on the north side to help manage deliveries and improve parking options.
Livingston Street has previously been designated as a Vision Zero Priority Area, meaning that there is a high density of traffic deaths and injuries in the area. This project aimed to tackle the designation and increase safety for pedestrians by redesigning seven intersections. Additional painted pedestrian sidewalks extensions and concrete pedestrian islands have been added to the intersections. By reducing the space between crosswalks and highlighting pedestrian only areas DOT plans on reducing the amount of traffic injury in the area.
NYC DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez said, “Our redesign of Livingston Street has transformed what was a congested, double-parked corridor into two-way fully protected and dedicated bus lanes to get bus riders where they’re going faster—while also preserving access and enhancing safety for everyone. Bus riders deserve fast and reliable service so that they spend less time in transit and more time with their families and friends, or at important appointments.”
NYC Transit President Richard Davey said, “Bus lanes are the most effective way to speed up buses. Millions of New Yorkers depend on buses, and we are committed, with our partners at DOT, to improve bus service reliability and help bus passengers reach their destinations faster and safer. With our ongoing rollout of expanded automated camera enforcement, customers can look forward to even quicker bus journeys.”
State Senator Andrew Gounardes said, “The redesign of Livingston Street will allow tens of thousands of bus riders to get more reliably to work, school, and everywhere else they need to go. It will also make the street safer and more accessible for everyone. I’m thankful to the Department of Transportation for making these much-needed improvements.”
Andrew Albert, chair of the New York City Transit Riders Council and MTA Board member said, “Protected bus lanes are critical for getting traffic out of the way and speeding up bus service around the five boroughs. 50,000 bus riders in Downtown Brooklyn— one of the most congested areas in New York— will benefit from faster trips and safer boarding thanks to new concrete bus boarding islands and plastic barriers that will keep cars and trucks out of the bus lane on Livingston Street. We thank NYC DOT and New York City Transit for working together to speed up buses for riders in 2024.”
By: Meg Beauregard (Meg is the CityLaw intern, and a New York Law School student, Class of 2024).
Department of Transportation: “NYC DOT Completes Transformative Bus Lane Redesign on Livingston Street in Downtown Brooklyn, Improving Service and Enhancing Safety Along Corridor” (Jan. 10, 2024).