Jay Street Protected Bike Lane Construction Begins Next Week

Work on the protected bike lane on Jay Street in Downtown Brooklyn -- including a new signalized crossing at the foot of the Manhattan Bridge -- begins next Thursday, July 28.

With around 2,400 cyclists a day, Jay Street is one of the busiest bike routes in the city -- cyclists account for 34 percent of vehicle traffic during rush hour. But people on bikes have to deal with chaotic street conditions and rampant parking placard abuse.

The painted lanes on each side of Jay Street will be replaced with parking-protected bike lanes between Fulton Mall and the Manhattan Bridge [PDF]. That should make conditions much less stressful for cyclists, though at five feet wide with a two-foot buffer, the bike lanes will be narrower than design standards recommend.

At the Manhattan Bridge off-ramp north of Nassau Street, a new signalized crossing will enable pedestrians and cyclists to proceed without having to worry about traffic coming off the bridge. A section of fence around the plaza at the foot of the bridge will open up access for pedestrians at the crossing.

Brooklyn Community Board 2's transportation committee declined to endorse the part of the plan last month in a 5-5 vote, but DOT is opting to proceed with the safer treatment. "After a split vote, DOT is moving forward with the installation of the signal," the agency said in a statement.