Improving Cycling in Downtown Brooklyn

Posted January 25, 2000

The following is excerpted from a letter sent by Transportation Alternatives to Ove Arup, the Downtown Brooklyn Traffic Calming project consultants.

Bicycle Parking

  • Bicycle parking on Montague Street, Court Street, Smith Street, Atlantic Avenue, Borough Hall, Public Library, Long Island Hospital, MetroTech, entrances to the Promenade.
  • Bicycle parking on all commercial streets.

New Bicycle Lanes

  • Separated bicycle lane on Clinton Street from Red Hook to Brooklyn Heights, keeping parking on right side and removing it on the left.
  • Two-way separated bicycle path on Furman Street.
  • Bicycle lanes the length of Dean and Bergen (4th Ave to their western end: Court Street).
  • Physically separated contraflow bicycle lane on the north side of Union St. between 3rd Avenue and Bond Street. Remove parking from north side of the street.
  • Bicycle lane on Myrtle from Jay to Washington Ave.
  • Bicycle lane on Schermerhorn from Bond to Boerum (westbound on north side of street).
  • Bicycle lane (or bicycle route designation) on Bond from 5th St. to Fulton.
  • Bicycle lane eastbound on Lafayette Ave. from Flatbush to Washington Ave., bicycle lane northbound on Washington from Lafayette to Flushing, with appropriate signage indicating route.
  • Bicycle lane on DeKalb from Washington Ave. to Fulton Ave.
  • Bicycle lane on Flatbush Avenue–Grand Army Plaza to Manhattan Bridge.
  • Create the Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway.

*All bicycle lanes should be at the minimum six feet wide.
**Bicycle lanes should be on the left on one-way streets to ensure greater cyclist visibility.

Existing Bicycle Lanes

  • Continue bicycle lane on Boerum/Adams southbound to Dean.
  • At the end of the bicycle lane on Clinton St. at Cadman Plaza West, widen the bicycle lane and physically separate the bicycle lane from the car lane to ensure that this area is kept clear for bicyclists.
  • A left-turn bicycle lane from Tillary (eastbound) towards the Bklyn Bridge. (This would be between the two left turn car lanes and the through-traffic lanes.) Also bicycle lane westbound on Tillary.
  • 3rd Avenue bicycle lane extended and repaired (on west side of street) from Flatbush Ave. to 15th Street.
  • Re-stripe existing bicycle lanes

Safety

  • Signs that say "Share the Road" (and include a symbol of a bicycle) on narrow streets (e.g. Henry Street).
  • No car parking at corners (daylighting).
  • Slow down speed on 3rd Avenue.
  • Bicycle-friendly speed humps–i.e. humps that are either flat-topped or cut out at the edges.

Access

  • Safe access to the Manhattan Bridge.