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

People Flock to the Myrtle-Wyckoff Plaza for a Day

A mariachi band drew a crowd at the one-day plaza. Photo: David Meyer
The city held a successful one-day plaza at the location in April. Photo: David Meyer

On Saturday, neighborhood residents got an eight-hour taste of the one-block plaza DOT has proposed near the Bushwick-Ridgewood border. Going by the turnout, a permanent plaza would be a hugely popular public space for the neighborhood.

The block of Wyckoff Avenue between Myrtle Avenue and Gates Avenue was car-free from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Foot traffic started slow, but by the afternoon the plaza was bustling with people. A mariachi band performed, a pop-up library had books for kids, and moveable chairs let people stop and rest.

This block abuts a major transit hub where two subway lines and six bus routes converge. In addition to serving as a public gathering place, the car-free plaza would vastly simplify vehicular turning movements, creating a safer walking environment. Thousands of people who walk by each day on their way to the Myrtle-Wyckoff subway station or the Ridgewood Bus Terminal, on nearby Palmetto Street, would benefit.

Since 2009, three pedestrians have been killed at the six-legged intersection of Wyckoff, Myrtle, and Palmetto -- two by MTA bus drivers.

Kids and parents enjoyed a pop-up library at the plaza demo. Photo: David Meyer
Kids and parents enjoyed the pop-up library. Photo: David Meyer
Kids and parents enjoyed a pop-up library at a plaza demo. Photo: David Meyer
myrtle-wyckoff 4
Coloring books were a big hit. Photo: David Meyer

Two years ago, hundreds of people gathered here to remember Ella Bandes, who was struck and killed by a turning bus driver in 2013. DOT implemented some safety improvements, but the initial round of changes weren't substantial enough. In 2014, a turning bus driver struck and killed Edgar Torres at the same intersection.

The plaza is part of a DOT proposal that goes much farther to simplify the intersection. It would reduce the number of legal vehicular movements from 25 to five for buses and three for private vehicles. By making the block of Wyckoff car-free, many of those turn restrictions would be self-enforcing.

DOT has hosted two public workshops on the redesign -- the most recent last week in Bushwick -- and is planning to present it to Queens Community Board 5 and Brooklyn Community Board 4 this spring, according to a DOT spokesperson.

The orange block is the site of the proposed plaza. Image: DOT

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Opinion: Jim McGreevey Plots Comeback, But NJ Voters Have Better Options

Why do some politicians think they can recycle the politics of the past and continue to ignore the carnage on our streets?

September 26, 2025

Friday Video: How Car Culture and the Internet Attention Economy Waste Your Time

Our favorite YouTuber breaks down what happens when car culture, hyper-consumerism, and internet brain rot collide — and how to claw our way out.

September 26, 2025

Friday’s Headlines: Flatbush Ave. Sees Red Edition

Red-painted bus lanes are coming to Flatbush Avenue in downtown Brooklyn. Plus more news.

September 26, 2025

New Bill Would Force Amazon To Directly Hire Its Delivery Drivers

Council Member Tiffany Caban wants Amazon to have to directly hire its employees who make deliveries across the city.

September 25, 2025

‘It’s Bullshit’: DOT Deflects Concerns Over E-Bike Speed Limit

The cover-up is worse than the speeding.

September 25, 2025
See all posts