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    NORTH AMERICAN Newsline                                            FEBRUARY 20, 2026       |  The Indian Eye 18

                Mamdani Restarts Four Stalled Bus and

             Bike Lane Projects in Bronx and Brooklyn

               City says long-delayed street redesigns will speed up buses for 130,000 daily riders and

                                                improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists

            NEW YORK

                    ayor  Zohran  Mamdani  an-
                     nounced that New York
            MCity will restart construc-
            tion on four previously stalled bus and
            bike lane projects in the Bronx and
            Brooklyn, signaling a renewed push to
            expand dedicated bus infrastructure
            and protected cycling  routes  across
            the city.
                Standing in the Bronx, Mamdani
            said the projects — which had been
            halted amid political disputes and
            delays — will now move forward this
            spring. The redesigns are expected to
            benefit  approximately  130,000  daily
            bus riders while improving safety for
            pedestrians, cyclists and drivers.
               “For too long, New Yorkers have   Fordham Road is the busiest bus corri- Road every day,” Lieber said, adding   be rolled out across Midwood, Flat-
            been told to wait as long overdue im-  dor in the Bronx, serving an average of  that pro-transit leadership at City Hall   bush and East Flatbush, neighbor-
            provements to our transit system were  130,000 daily riders across four routes:  is critical to improving service.  hoods represented by Brooklyn Com-
            blocked time and again. That ends   the Bx12, Bx9, Bx17 and Bx22. The   In Brooklyn, the city will com-  munity Boards 14 and 17. Despite
            now,” Mamdani said. “Today, we’re   corridor runs through neighborhoods   plete the final block of the protected   high cycling rates, these areas have
            moving forward with faster, more reli-  where a majority of residents rely on   bike lane on Ashland Place in Fort   limited dedicated bike infrastructure.
            able buses for the 130,000 New York-  public transportation. According to  Greene — a stretch informally known   This spring, DOT will imple-
            ers who depend on them every single   the city, 62 percent of households in  as “Crashland” due to past safety con-  ment a long-delayed network that in-
            day. Today, we build safer streets for  the area do not have access to a pri-  cerns. The redesign will convert the   cludes parking-protected bike lanes
            New Yorkers who walk, bike, or drive   vate vehicle, and 71 percent of resi-  southernmost block from a two-way   on Cortelyou and Dorchester roads
            in their own neighborhoods.”      dents rely on transit, biking or walking.  to a one-way street and add a two-way   in Ditmas Park, running from Coney
                The projects include a major re-  Under the plan, DOT will in-  protected bike lane.              Island Avenue to Flatbush Avenue.
            design of Fordham Road in the Bronx,  stall offset bus lanes along Fordham   Once completed, the segment   Standard bike lanes will be added to
            the completion of a key protected bike   Road between Sedgwick Avenue   will create a continuous protected   14 additional streets across Flatbush,
            lane segment in Fort Greene, and new   and Boston Road. Unlike curbside   bike route stretching from Sunset   East Flatbush and Midwood, along
            bike infrastructure in Central Brook-  lanes, offset lanes are placed away  Park to DUMBO, with connections   with intersection upgrades designed to
            lyn and the neighborhoods of Mid-  from the curb, reducing conflicts with   to Greenpoint and Queens. The   improve visibility and reduce crashes.
            wood, Flatbush and East Flatbush.  double-parked vehicles and loading   project also includes converting the   Protected bike lanes have been
                City officials framed the restart as   activity. Traffic analysis by DOT indi- last block of Hanson Place into a   shown  to  reduce  traffic  deaths  and
            part of a broader effort to prioritize   cates that offset lanes provide greater  “shared street,” expanding pedestrian   serious injuries by 18 percent for all
            public transit riders and street safety.  improvements in speed and reliability.  space and enhancing the public realm.  street users, according to city data.
            NYC Department of Transportation  A similar conversion on Hillside Ave-  Advocates say the Ashland Place   In Central Brooklyn, DOT will
            Commissioner Mike Flynn said the   nue in Queens increased bus speeds   connection is critical to building a   install parking-protected bike lanes
            projects had languished due to poli-  by up to 28 percent.          fully protected cycling network. Ben   along Brooklyn and Kingston avenues
            tics rather than policy concerns.     Designs for the Fordham Road  Furnas, executive director of Trans-  between East New York Avenue and
               “New  Yorkers  deserve fast, reli-  project will be finalized in the coming   portation Alternatives, said the city is   Wingate Park at Winthrop Street. The
            able bus service and to feel safe when   months with community engagement,  “unsticking stalled projects” and deliv-  corridors are located near more than
            they’re traveling  with their  families   and construction is expected to be   ering long-promised improvements.  10 schools, and between 2021 and
            and loved ones on city streets,” Fly-  completed this year. DOT says it will   “Bus riders in the Bronx deserve   2025 recorded 65 injuries, with pedes-
            nn said. “These projects will improve   monitor  bus  speeds  following  imple- the best possible streets to get buses   trians and cyclists accounting for 60
            the quality of life for so many New   mentation.                    moving faster,” Furnas said. “We are   percent of serious injuries.
            Yorkers — but until today many were   MTA Chair and CEO Janno Li- very excited to see vital new connec-  A protected bike lane loop will
            stalled because of politics. This is just   eber praised the move, calling it a   tions and protections for people on   also be built around Wingate Park,
            the beginning.”                   boost for transit riders. “This project  foot and on bikes in the Brooklyn net-  along with conventional bike lanes on
                The largest of the initiatives is   is a Valentine to the tens of thousands   work.”              Rutland Road and Fenimore Street in
            the Fordham Road Bus Lane project.  of bus riders who cross Fordham    Additional bike infrastructure will   Prospect-Lefferts Gardens.

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