The New York City Department of Transportation has revealed an ambitious plan to install a center-running bus lane along Flatbush Avenue, stretching from Grand Army Plaza to Livingston Street. This proposal aims to create a unique transit way rarely seen in the city—a crucial step towards revamping public transportation in Brooklyn.
At a recent meeting with the Transportation Committee of Brooklyn Community Board 2, DOT officials shared details about the plan, which includes concrete bus boarding islands positioned strategically outside the Atlantic Terminal, as well as the subway stations at Park Place (2/3) and Seventh Avenue (B/Q). The department hopes to implement these changes within the year.
Dustin Khuu, DOT Assistant Director of Bus Priority, emphasized the goal of transforming Flatbush Avenue into a “high performing transit priority street” that effectively connects various neighborhoods rather than merely serving as a thoroughfare for cars traveling between Brooklyn and Manhattan.
The envisioned center-running bus lane would not only alleviate congestion but also improve pedestrian safety by creating shorter crossing distances, ultimately enhancing the overall bus service. The design for the bus islands draws inspiration from a similar approach taken on Edward L. Grant Highway in the Bronx back in 2020.
However, the plan remains incomplete, with key aspects still under discussion. A major concern centers on how to keep cars and trucks off the designated bus lane. Current DOT renderings indicate that curbside parking will continue in certain areas, where drivers have only one lane available. This situation risks undermining the effectiveness of the bus lane, as double-parked vehicles could force traffic into the bus lane.
In contrast, alternative renderings showcase a vision where curbside parking is nonexistent near a bus boarding island further south at Flatbush and Park Place. Here, the curbside lane would be repurposed into a general travel lane adjacent to the bus boarding island, next to the center bus lane.
Such changes to Flatbush Avenue could substantially alter the local environment, facilitating easier pedestrian access and creating a more livable area. Danny Pearlstein, Director of Policy and Communication for Riders Alliance, dubbed the potential redesign as “revolutionary” for residents of Park Slope, affirming that it could effectively bridge the communities separated by Flatbush Avenue.
While the community board was not presented with a detailed breakdown of the project, DOT officials indicated that the planned bus lane could be physically protected. Khuu mentioned that the agency intends to return with a more precise plan in the fall, with hopes of completing the project by 2025.
Should the center-running bus lane come to fruition, it promises to provide a designated corridor for the B41 bus, which serves around 28,000 trips daily while often getting caught in the Downtown Brooklyn congestion. Currently, the bus can crawl at speeds as low as four miles per hour during peak hours, making this upgrade particularly urgent.
The timing appears optimal for such a project, particularly post-launch of congestion pricing in the city. Khuu reported that since the implementation of congestion pricing, the percentage of northbound car trips on Flatbush Avenue heading towards Manhattan has dropped from 44 percent to 33 percent. Notably, only 7 percent of these trips lead to lower Manhattan, indicating that most drivers are not primarily seeking access to the Brooklyn or Manhattan bridges.
As traffic patterns adjust in response to the installation of the center-running bus lane, Khuu also anticipates some drivers may choose to switch to bus service as it becomes more reliable. This could positively impact public transit usage for trips to and from Manhattan.
Pearlstein proposed that redesign features such as bus-level boarding islands and dedicated bus lanes could elevate the bus experience akin to subway travel, asserting that these innovations can significantly improve the perception of public transportation.
“Center-running bus lanes transform their corridors,” he explained, noting that unlike curbside bus lanes, center-running lanes underscore the importance of public transit.
The proposed design aligns with existing restrictions on Flatbush, which already disallow left turns onto cross streets between Grand Army Plaza and Livingston Street, allowing the road to function mainly as a thoroughfare. DOT officials have stated that the transit-focused design aims to mitigate through traffic, thereby altering the character of Downtown Brooklyn.
“By prioritizing the center-running bus lane, we are effectively stating that this neighborhood should no longer serve as a cut-through for drivers heading elsewhere,” commented Nolan Levenson, Director of the DOT Bus Priority Program.
Additionally, the DOT is considering enhancements that would support local businesses. Khuu informed the community board that the agency is evaluating potential locations for truck loading zones on side streets, and where parking is retained, meter times will be adjusted to encourage turnover, dissuading long-term parking.
Such a significant overhaul of a major street naturally brings political challenges, which are sometimes more daunting than the engineering aspects of traffic design. Under Mayor Adams, the Flatbush Avenue project faced delays after initial outreach, reportedly due to internal resistance from advisors opposed to transit initiatives.
This tension became evident during the Thursday night presentation, as the original rendering of the bus lane displayed an integrated protected bike lane on Ashland Place, which had been removed following objections from a prominent real estate developer. The project’s fate now hinges on the administration’s willingness to support transit improvements amid the complexities seen during Mayor Adams’s tenure.
Advocates for the bus lane have sought to secure robust support and prevent potential compromises that could dilute the project’s effectiveness—drawing lessons from previous challenges seen on Fordham Road in the Bronx, where the mayor abandoned plans for a busway.
Support for the initiative spans from unions to nonprofit organizations, and several council members representing areas along Flatbush, including Lincoln Restler and Shahana Hanif, have voiced their endorsement for the center-running bus lane.
As attention turns towards City Hall, stakeholders are hopeful that the plan will come to fruition.
Khuu concluded the meeting by affirming that, “DOT has taken this as far as they can, and now it’s up to the mayor to bring better buses to Flatbush Avenue.”
image source from：https://nyc.streetsblog.org/2025/06/09/flatbush-ave-could-be-brooklyns-first-great-transitway-if-its-done-right
