Bergen Bike Bus Announce Safety Improvements for Families Biking to Sc
DOT (Dept of Transportation)
Mayor Mamdani Joins Bergen Bike Bus Announce Safety Improvements for Families Biking to School in Brooklyn
New York City Mayor Mamdani joined families and students riding with the Bergen Bike Bus in Brooklyn to unveil a series of safety improvements designed to make biking to school safer and more accessible. The announcement highlights the city’s continued investment in protected bike lanes, traffic calming measures, and family-friendly street design, reinforcing a broader push to support sustainable transportation while prioritizing the safety of children and caregivers across New York City.
Mayor Mamdani Joins Bergen Bike Bus to Announce Safety Improvements for Families Biking to School in Brooklyn
NEW YORK — On National Bike and Roll to School Day, Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) Commissioner Mike Flynn rode with students and families from the Bergen Bike Bus to announce plans for a street safety redesign along the Bergen and Dean Street corridors from Court Street to East New York Avenue in Brooklyn.
The 10-mile east-west routes are key cycling corridors and home to the city’s most popular “bike bus,” a weekly caravan of parents and students traveling to school together.
The redesign will include a bike boulevard, a street design that prioritizes cyclists and pedestrians while maintaining local vehicle access. These corridors are designed to reduce traffic, calm speeds and create safer, more comfortable routes for riders of all ages.
“Bike boulevards give families the peace of mind they need to start the day right: by enjoying a safe, easy ride to school,” said Mayor Mamdani. “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. It was such a joy to ride with the families of the Bergen Bike Bus, who have for years strapped on their helmets and pulled out their bikes to show the need for better cycling infrastructure. Now, we’re building a city that meets that vision.”
“Streets that are the envy of the world are safe for people of all ages and abilities. 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,” said NYC DOT Commissioner Flynn. “We are so grateful for the parents, volunteers and caregivers of the Bergen Bike Bus and look forward to developing safer Bergen and Dean streets that will benefit all New Yorkers using these corridors each day.”
“On this National Bike & Roll to School Day we, the Bergen Bike Bus, are overjoyed by Mayor Mamdani’s announcement. Thank you to the City leaders for hearing our weekly pleas, for riding along with us and for working to give kids the recognition they deserve as citizens and street users of NYC,” said the Bergen Bike Bus. “Biking to school is an active and fun way to start the day. Biking to school can be safe not just on a bike bus, but every day. Bergen is a bike route in name, and now DOT can begin to transform it into a true Bike Boulevard, where kids, parents and all road users feel comfortable and safe. Thank you to the kids, families and team of volunteer marshals who bring joy to Brooklyn every week and who demonstrate that biking to school benefits everyone, and thank you to the City leaders for supporting this version of free buses!”
Bike boulevards vary by neighborhood and may include protected bike lanes, sidewalk extensions, medians, traffic-calming measures and pedestrian improvements. Protected bike lanes have been shown to reduce deaths and serious injuries for all road users by 18.1% and for pedestrians by 29.2%.
The project will be implemented in phases. The City plans to release a design proposal later this year, with the first phase targeted for installation in 2027. NYC DOT has also launched a new online feedback portal to begin public engagement.
The redesign will be coordinated with several ongoing planning efforts, including the Atlantic Avenue Mixed Use Plan (AAMUP), the Flatbush Avenue busway, the Grand Army Plaza-Prospect Heights Public Realm Plan and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (MTA) Brooklyn Bus Network Redesign.
The announcement is part of the Mamdani administration’s initiatives during National Bike Month. Earlier this week, NYC DOT launched a feedback portal for the City’s secure bike parking program and released the 2026 Bike Map.
“It's critically important that our children and commuters have a safe way to get to and from school and work,” said Assembly Member Phara Souffrant Forrest. “I'm really looking forward to hearing from neighbors and working with DOT to bring about the safety improvements that are needed on Bergen and Dean Streets, which are both heavily used corridors through Prospect Heights and Crown Heights.”
“I applaud Mayor Zohran Mamdani and DOT Commissioner Mike Flynn for prioritizing safety for school children, pedestrians and cyclists,” said Assembly Member Latrice Walker. “I look forward to the safety improvements along Bergen and Dean Streets and the anticipated reduction in the number of crash-related injuries along the 10-mile corridor. And there’s the added benefit of reduced traffic. Everybody wins.”
“When we make our streets safer for cyclists, we make them safer for everyone,” said Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso. “The creation of a bike boulevard is a major win for our borough, especially for the thousands of Brooklynites who walk, bike and drive down Dean and Bergen every day. I’m grateful to Mayor Mamdani and NYC DOT for leading this effort, and I encourage all Brooklynites to participate in the public engagement process to shape the future of this vital corridor.”
“District 39 has some of the highest rates of cycling in Brooklyn, and corridors like Bergen and Dean are essential routes for neighbors, especially young riders, getting to school safely,” said Council Member Shahana Hanif. “This redesign is an investment in the health, safety and everyday mobility of our community. I thank Mayor Mamdani for his leadership on this effort, and I look forward to working with DOT and local stakeholders to ensure these improvements reflect the needs of District 39.”
“Getting around our city should be safe for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians alike,” said Council Member Sandy Nurse. “Traffic-calming measures prevent injuries and deaths while keeping us all moving. I commend Mayor Mamdani for investing in safety improvements on the Bergen and Dean Corridors as part of his larger plan of action to ensure safer streets.”
“My office has been deeply involved in the negotiations around the Atlantic Avenue Mixed-Use Plan, and the Bergen and Dean corridor redesign is a direct part of that plan coming to life,” said Council Member Chi Ossé. “Protected bike lanes and safe infrastructure cannot be luxuries. They are what our riders, our kids, our seniors and everyday New Yorkers deserve on city streets. Council Member Crystal Hudson and I fought hard to make this happen through the Atlantic Avenue Mixed Use Plan negotiations, because redesigns like this one are exactly the kind of action this city has needed for far too long. Thanks to the Mamdani administration, we are finally moving.”
“Every day, thousands of students ride down Bergen and Dean Streets to get to and from school on streets that should be safer,” said Council Member Lincoln Restler. “I applaud DOT for creating bike boulevards on these critical arteries. Thanks to all the parents, caregivers and kids who’ve been fighting for safer passage for cyclists on Bergen and Dean Streets, and all across our community.”
“Today's announcement is a great step forward for people who walk and bike in Brooklyn,” said Ben Furnas, Executive Director of Transportation Alternatives. “For years, our activists have been fighting for a bike boulevard along the critical east-west route of Bergen and Dean Streets, and we're excited this critical project has finally reached the planning process. As always, we'll keep organizing for the most ambitious possible redesign, so that seniors, parents and kids alike feel comfortable and safe biking on Bergen and Dean.”
“My husband Ron was killed while riding his bike in 2016,” said Robin Middleman, a member of Families for Safe Streets. “Ever since, I've been dedicated to fighting for better bicycle infrastructure and safe streets so no one else has to experience this pain. As a longtime resident of Central Brooklyn, I am eager to see this project enter the planning process, and excited to fight for the best, safest, most comprehensive upgrades to both Bergen and Dean Streets.”
“At Bike New York, we see every day how safe streets open the door for more people — especially kids — to ride with confidence,” said Ken Podziba, CEO of Bike New York. “New Yorkers deserve a connected network of safe, low-stress routes, and Bergen and Dean Streets are essential links for families traveling to school and for everyday riders. Designing these corridors as bike boulevards is a proven strategy to reduce traffic, calm speeds and prevent serious injuries. This is the kind of investment our city needs to make streets safer and more accessible for everyone. We thank Mayor Mamdani and Commissioner Flynn for their leadership and look forward to seeing a design that reflects the needs of the community.”
“We couldn’t be more excited at the news that NYC DOT will be bringing bike boulevard treatments to Bergen and Dean Streets!” said Eric McClure, Executive Director of StreetsPAC. “The paired streets have long been one of Brooklyn’s key bike-commuting routes, and during many parts of the day, bikes are the predominant mode of travel along the corridor – especially on Wednesday mornings when dozens of kids and their chaperones ride the incredibly popular Bergen Bike Bus. We’re grateful to Mayor Mamdani and Commissioner Flynn for prioritizing these crucial safety upgrades on Bergen and Dean.”
“If a street is safe enough for a child, it’s safe for everyone. That’s the standard New York should be building toward,” said Sara Lind, Co-Executive Director of Open Plans. “Bergen and Dean Streets are vibrant corridors with kids and families biking to school together; this project is an opportunity to meet that energy with design that puts people first. Safer bike lanes, especially when paired with innovations like school streets, plaza blocks and low-traffic neighborhoods will allow even more NYC families to benefit from active mobility.”
"RPA is happy to support the NYC DOT in its efforts to improve commuter safety, especially for our young students,” said Kate Slevin, Executive Vice President of Regional Plan Association. “As a mother and cyclist leader of a “bike bus” myself, I’m both professionally and personally thrilled to see the 10-mile key cycling corridors get the safety redesign cyclists deserve. Reducing traffic volumes and speeds along the route will help create safer, more comfortable routes for cyclists of all ages.”
SOURCE: NYC DOT
