Brooklyn Bridge Bike Lane Upgrades in Brooklyn
NYC DOT
NYC DOT is upgrading bike infrastructure along Adams Street and Boerum Place to create a safer protected cycling connection to the Brooklyn Bridge.
NYC DOT is beginning work on major bike lane upgrades connecting Brooklyn neighborhoods to the Brooklyn Bridge, where an average of 5,625 cyclists cross each day. The project will redesign Adams Street and Boerum Place between Bergen and Front streets, ultimately creating just over a mile of upgraded cycling infrastructure from Boerum Hill to DUMBO. A two-way protected bike path will replace portions of the existing standard bike lane, which the agency says is frequently blocked by illegally parked vehicles. Work beginning in 2026 will focus on the section between Atlantic Avenue and Tillary Street, with additional improvements planned for 2027. NYC DOT announced the project as part of its annual Biketober cycling initiative.
Biketober: NYC DOT Begins Cycling Access Upgrade to Brooklyn Bridge, Announces Bicycle Events for October
Project will upgrade chronically blocked bike lane leading to Brooklyn Bridge, DUMBO
Agency announces free helmet and bike light giveaways across five boroughs
New York City Department of Transportation Commissioner Mike Flynn today kicked off October, known as “Biketober,” by announcing road work is starting this upcoming week to deliver critical bike lane upgrades on Boerum Place and Adams Street for the thousands of daily cyclists traveling over the Brooklyn Bridge. Commissioner Flynn also announced a host of free helmet and bike light giveaways, safety education classes, and free learn-to-ride lessons with Bike New York across the five boroughs, where New Yorkers can engage with NYC DOT bike network planners.
Biketober is an annual celebration of cycling, expanding accessibility and affordability of riding to all New Yorkers. It is hosted during October, when weather is ideal for biking and when ridership in New York City is generally at its highest levels. For a list of events, visit NYC DOT’s bike events webpage.
“The Mamdani administration believes all New Yorkers should feel safe navigating our streets—and that means cyclists shouldn’t have to navigate around illegally parked cars every day on Adams Street on the way to the Brooklyn Bridge. This Biketober, we’re excited to deliver this critical safety and connectivity upgrade,” said NYC DOT Commissioner Mike Flynn. “To celebrate October, which has the best weather for cycling, we’ll be hosting events to give out free helmets and bike lights, and host safety education outreach for riders in all five boroughs.”
“A safer, better-connected bike network doesn’t just change how New Yorkers move—it opens the door for more people to experience the freedom, independence, and joy that bicycling brings,” said Ken Podziba, CEO of Bike New York. “We’re thrilled to see these important upgrades to Boerum Place and Adams Street moving forward, creating a safer, more protected connection to the Brooklyn Bridge that will encourage even more New Yorkers to choose bicycling for their daily trips. We’re proud to partner with NYC DOT on Biketober and on efforts across the five boroughs that combine safer infrastructure with education, free helmets and bike lights, and learn-to-ride opportunities. Together, we’re making bicycling safer, more accessible, and more inviting—and helping New Yorkers discover everything that cycling can add to their lives.”
An average of 5,625 daily cyclists commute over the Brooklyn Bridge each day, a 112% increase since NYC DOT opened the bike-only lane in 2021, when 2,652 average daily cyclists were recorded crossing the span.
To improve connections for riders, NYC DOT has begun work to redesign Adams Street to upgrade bike infrastructure, between Bergen Street, where Adams Street is called Boerum Place, up to Front Street, which, when completed, will cover just over one mile from Boerum Hill to DUMBO. As part of the redesign, NYC DOT will convert the standard bike lane on Adams Street/Boerum Place to a two-way protected bike path, from Bergen Street to Johnson Street.
NYC DOT will begin in 2026 with implementation on the segment of Adams Street/Boerum Place between Atlantic Avenue and Tillary Street, with the segment between Bergen Street and Atlantic to be installed next year.
The current standard bike lane on Adams Street is frequently blocked by illegal double parking, even though more than 1,300 cyclists were observed riding the street during a typical weekday.
The two-way protected path will provide critical upgrades to the Brooklyn Bridge, the protected bike lanes on Schermerhorn Street, and future bike boulevard upgrades in early development for Bergen and Dean Streets.
In DUMBO, NYC DOT will also add a protected bike lane on Adams Street, from Sands Street to York Street, and a standard lane on the block north, between York Street and Front Street.
The agency will also upgrade the standard bike lane on Sands Street from Jay Street to Adams Street.
The work builds on years of continuous efforts to improve connections to the Brooklyn Bridge and other East River bridges, which serve more than 30,000 daily cyclists. In 2021, NYC DOT installed the first dedicated bike path on the Brooklyn Bridge and, earlier this year, further protected pedestrians and cyclists with improvements to the Manhattan side of the span.
“More than 30,000 cyclists cross the East River bridges every day, and they deserve safe, reliable connections on both sides,” said Representative Nydia M. Velázquez. I’m pleased to see these long-needed upgrades moving forward in Downtown Brooklyn, making it safer and easier for cyclists traveling between Brooklyn and Manhattan.”
“The difference between an unprotected and protected bike lane is like night and day for cyclists. Making these upgrades will bring increased safety for the thousands that cross Brooklyn Bridge each day and will make the lane more effective by preventing vehicles from illegally double parking in it,” said City Council Majority Leader and Chair of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Shaun Abreu. “This is especially timely ahead of the Biketober celebrations, which bring our highest ridership. I applaud Mayor Mamdani and Commissioner Flynn for continuing to deliver safer infrastructure for New Yorkers.”
“There’s no better way to kick off Biketober than by breaking ground on our long-awaited protected bike lane on Adams St / Boerum Place. Instead of encountering a bike lane to nowhere and rampant illegal parking when coming off the Brooklyn Bridge, our community is getting a much safer street for pedestrians, cyclists, drivers and bus riders,” said City Council Member Lincoln Restler. “Bike ridership on the Brooklyn Bridge soared nearly 200% between 2020 and 2025, and I hope to see ridership expand even more quickly with our new network of protected lanes in Downtown Brooklyn. I’m grateful to our excellent partners at the Department of Transportation for listening to our community’s demands for safer streets and responding with the Adams St redesign we deserve.”
“The Brooklyn Bridge moves thousands of bike riders every day, but reaching the bridge from Brooklyn can still feel dangerous," said Ben Furnas, Executive Director of Transportation Alternatives. "These upgrades on Adams Street and Boerum Place will ensure that many more riders have a safe connection to the Brooklyn Bridge, the Schermerhorn protected bike lane, and eventually, the bike boulevards on Bergen and Dean. We look forward to riding on these new upgrades and working together with DOT on the upcoming bike improvements throughout Brooklyn.”
“We’re very pleased that NYC DOT is kicking off ‘Biketober’ by announcing the start of work on significant upgrades to cycling infrastructure on Boerum Place and Adams Street,” said Eric McClure, executive director of StreetsPAC. “The Brooklyn Bridge is a critical piece of New York City’s cycling network, and making it easier and safer to access the bridge from the Brooklyn side will be a game-changer for the thousands of New Yorkers who ride over the bridge every day. We’re grateful to Commissioner Flynn and his team for getting this work underway in 2026.”
Source: NYC Department of Transportation (NYC DOT)
