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

Eyes on the Street: Flushing Avenue Bike Lane Takes Shape

12:14 AM EDT on October 22, 2018

The first segment of the two-way protected bike lane on Flushing Avenue is open. Photo: Gersh Kuntzman

Here a first look at just how great Flushing Avenue might be.

The first segment of the two-way protected bike lane — between the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway and Washington Avenue — has opened on the north side of the roadway, giving cyclists some safety along a stretch that has been a construction danger zone.

Eventually, the bike lane will extend all the way to Navy Street, a key route for thousands of daily cyclists heading to and from the Manhattan Bridge [PDF].

For months, cyclists have been dealing with construction that has eliminated the westbound bike lane entirely, squeezing riders onto the main car lane (see below), but the heaviest construction appears to have ended.

A dangerous mix.
File photo: A dangerous mix.
The daily deadly mix on Flushing Avenue.

The better news? When the Department of Design and Construction is done with the project by April, Flushing Avenue promises to be a tremendous improvement for cyclists — at the expense of drivers.

In addition to the raised, two-way bike lane on the north side of Flushing, buses, which currently cut off cyclists as they veer back into traffic from the shared bike lane, will make their westbound pickups directly in the roadway, inconveniencing only motorists. An agency spokesman said that buses stopping in the roadway “will not cause traffic to be significantly impacted.”

That remains to be seen, given that 15 westbound buses on the B57 and B69 routes pass through Flushing Avenue during the morning rush hour, according to MTA schedules. That number, multiplied by the number of the on-road bus stops, translates to 51 times that a bus will potentially stop in front of cars every morning during the so-called rush hour.

But with their own space, cyclists won't have to worry about that.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Ossé: Bedford Ave. Bike Lane is Stuck in DOT’s ‘Community Engagement’ Purgatory

"Over the past couple weeks [the DOT] has been saying that they need to do more community engagement on the issue," the Council member said of the much-discussed project.

March 19, 2024

Cycle of Rage: Council Members Slam DOT for Successful Safety Projects

What do three street safety projects across the city have in common? Hypocrisy by some Council members, that's what.

March 19, 2024

Tuesday’s Headlines: Make America Grate Again Edition

A Sanitation worker made a larger political statement than merely parking illegally. Plus other news.

March 19, 2024
See all posts