Brooklyn’s most chaotic school-run commute may soon get a whole lot calmer… and a lot more bike bells.
New York City has announced plans to redesign roughly 10 miles of Bergen and Dean Streets into what officials are calling “bike boulevards,” a sprawling east-west cycling corridor stretching from Court Street all the way to East New York Avenue.
The project, unveiled this week by Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the NYC Department of Transportation, would reshape two of Brooklyn’s busiest bike routes with traffic-calming measures, safer crossings, pedestrian upgrades and protected cycling infrastructure designed to slow cars down without fully banning them. Overall, the goal is to end speeding shortcuts and promote more family-friendly riding.
The concept partly grew out of one of the city’s most delightfully wholesome transit phenomena: the Bergen Bike Bus. Every Wednesday morning, a massive group of parents and kids rides together to school along the corridor, turning the streets into a moving mini peloton of backpacks, training wheels and coffee-carrying adults, all trying not to be flattened by traffic. Mamdani joined the ride this week for National Bike and Roll to School Day, using the event to formally announce the redesign plans.
“Bike boulevards give families the peace of mind they need to start the day right: by enjoying a safe, easy ride to school,” Mamdani said in a statement. “From protected bike lanes to safer crossings, these redesigns make our streets work for people and encourage our youngest neighbors to grow into lifelong riders.”
The exact design hasn’t been finalized yet, but city officials say bike boulevards can include features like medians, sidewalk extensions, protected bike lanes and other street redesigns intended to reduce crashes and slow traffic. According to the city, protected bike lanes have already been shown to reduce deaths and serious injuries for all road users by more than 18%.
The project will roll out in phases, with a formal design proposal expected later this year and the first construction phase targeted for 2027. The city has also launched a public feedback process
DOT Commissioner Mike Flynn explained that the redesign is bigger than just cycling culture. “Biking is a healthy and fun way for children to get exercise and with the right street design, more students can feel safe and empowered to bike to school without the requirement of a large caravan of parents to protect them,” he said.
For a city increasingly trying to convince people to ditch the car keys, Brooklyn may be getting its clearest test case yet.
