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NYC has new plan for McGuinness Boulevard in Brooklyn after months of controversy
By
Stephen Nessen
and
Stephen Rex Brown
Published Aug 16, 2023
Modified Aug 16, 2023
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By
Stephen Nessen
and
Stephen Rex Brown
Published Aug 16, 2023
Modified Aug 16, 2023
Share
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The city Department of Transportation says it’s proceeding with a scaled-back set of street safety improvements to McGuinness Boulevard following months of controversy and opposition from some local businesses.
Under the new plan, the dangerous thoroughfare will have a bike lane in each direction, as well as one lane of traffic from Meeker Avenue to Calyer Street. From Calyer Street to the Pulaski Bridge there will be a bike lane in each direction and two lanes of traffic from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Outside of those hours, one traffic lane will become parking.
The Department of Transportation said the bike lane will be protected by a mix of barriers and flexible delineators that still allow drivers to access the curb.
The previous plan included protected bike lanes to Meeker Avenue.
“Too many New Yorkers have been injured or lost their lives on McGuinness Boulevard, and the city has made significant safety improvements in recent years – both under the Adams administration and with Mayor [Eric] Adams’ support when he was borough president. This project will calm traffic, create protected bike lanes, and better accommodate everyone traveling through this neighborhood,” mayoral spokesperson Charles Lutvak said in a statement. “The Adams administration has continuously listened to members of this community and updated our design accordingly."
Construction on the project will begin in early September before the start of school, the transportation department said.
The previous plan generated intense opposition led by a group called “Keep McGuinness Moving,” which argued that the street safety improvements would result in job losses.
The news website The City reported in June that the opposition group was being led by the owners of the Broadway Stages film production company, whose headquarters are nearby. The owners of Broadway Stages have donated to Adams. Emails to Broadway Stages weren't returned.
Streetsblog then reported that Adams’ top adviser Ingrid Lewis-Martin opposed the plan, prompting the Department of Transportation to go back to the drawing board in July.
Three people have been killed on the roadway since 2012, including a beloved local teacher in 2021.
Transportation Alternatives was among the groups outraged by the plan's unexpected withdrawal. A spokesperson for the advocacy group, Elizabeth Adams, expressed support for the new plan.
"With only three weeks until school starts, we thank the mayor for today’s decision, which puts community over private donors and will save lives. Our neighbors north of Calyer deserve access to the same infrastructure as the rest of Greenpoint, and we’ll keep fighting to Make McGuinness Safe — all of it," she said.
A group of elected officials called the plan "the most significant safety interventions since Robert Moses expanded McGuinness Boulevard 70 years ago," even if it didn't include every element they'd sought.
"This process wasn't always straightforward but we appreciate that the Adams administration never walked away from the table," read a statement on behalf of the group including Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, Assemblymember Emily Gallagher, state Sen. Kristen Gonzalez, City Councilmember Lincoln Restler and Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez.
This story was updated to clarify the plan for separate sections of McGuinness Boulevard.
Tagged
transportation
brooklyn
Stephen Nessen
Stephen Nessen covers transportation. Since 2008 he has reported on everything from Occupy Wall Street, the rebuilding of the World Trade Center site, Hurricane Sandy, to Trump’s campaign for president. His transportation reporting has taken him everywhere from the MTA’s secret Rail Control Center to the gleaming subways of Seoul. Got a tip? Email [email protected].
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Stephen Rex Brown
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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