Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Bicycling

Grand Plans for Brooklyn’s Iconic Public Space

In all of the uproar over DOT's various transportation proposals for Park Slope last month (One Way? No Way! and 9th Street) this Grand Army Plaza project managed to slip beneath the radar. That's too bad because it's a really thoughtful and detailed piece of planning work that will help connect neighborhoods and improve the pedestrian and cyclist experience of Brooklyn's most iconic public space (see slides 9 and 10 for a quick overview). And while DOT is, unfortunately, loath to acknowledge that it is actually responding to a community, this plan seems to do a really good job of answering many of the concerns raised by the Grand Army Plaza Coalition community planning process (see the StreetFilm). Grand Army Plaza still has a long way to go but this is a nice start.

The DOT plan highlights include:

    • Closing unused roads during weekend hours
    • 2,300 square feet of new landscaping
    • Removing a travel lane on Eastern Parkway
    • Providing a Class 1 bike facility through Grand Army Plaza
    • Five new crosswalks providing access to Prospect Park and the Arch
    • Eliminating one auto lane east of the arch

DOT presented this plan to Community Board 6 in March. They voted unanimously to support it.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Wednesday’s Headlines: Return of Summer Streets Edition

Summer Streets is back and bigger than ever. Plus more news.

July 2, 2025

How Will Mamdani Govern? His Earlier MTA Advocacy Gives Some Hints

Mamdani spent his initial years as a state assemblyman cultivating relationships in and around the MTA while crafting his vision for "fast and free buses."

July 2, 2025

Brooklyn Judge Once Again Declines to Rip Up Bedford Ave. Protected Bike Lane… For Now

Well-connected lawyer Frank Seddio argued against the Bedford Avenue protected bike lane in court on Tuesday.

Money for Something: Funding OK’d, But Details Missing For ‘Dept. Of Sustainable Delivery’

The mayor got the Council to sign off on $6.1 million for the long-awaited “Department of Sustainable Delivery." But what's it mean? No one is talking.

July 1, 2025

Incoming Albany Mayor Could Help Safe Streets Movement Statewide

The state capital is built for the car and that is how it is experienced by our lawmakers. But could that change under a new mayor? Here's hoping.

July 1, 2025

Tuesday’s Headlines: Another Child Sacrificed to the SUV Edition

Stop de kindermoord! An 8-year-old boy killed by an SUV driver is the latest victim of America's obsession with big cars. Plus other news.

July 1, 2025
See all posts