Mayor Mamdani Joins Bergen Bike Bus to Announce Safety Improvements for Families Biking to School in Brooklyn

City to develop street redesign featuring “bike boulevard” along Bergen Street and Dean Street 

Photo Credit: NYC DOT

On National Bike and Roll to School Day, Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) Commissioner Mike Flynn rode with students and families from the Bergen Bike Bus to announce plans for a street safety redesign along the Bergen and Dean Street corridors from Court Street to East New York Avenue in Brooklyn.

The 10-mile east-west routes are key cycling corridors and home to the city’s most popular “bike bus,” a weekly caravan of parents and students traveling to school together.

The redesign will include a bike boulevard, a street design that prioritizes cyclists and pedestrians while maintaining local vehicle access. These corridors are designed to reduce traffic, calm speeds and create safer, more comfortable routes for riders of all ages.

“Bike boulevards give families the peace of mind they need to start the day right: by enjoying a safe, easy ride to school,” said Mayor Mamdani. “From protected bike lanes to safer crossings, these redesigns make our streets work for people and encourage our youngest neighbors to grow into lifelong riders. It was such a joy to ride with the families of the Bergen Bike Bus, who have for years strapped on their helmets and pulled out their bikes to show the need for better cycling infrastructure. Now, we’re building a city that meets that vision.”

“Streets that are the envy of the world are safe for people of all ages and abilities. Biking is a healthy and fun way for children to get exercise, and with the right street design, more students can feel safe and empowered to bike to school without the requirement of a large caravan of parents to protect them,” said NYC DOT Commissioner Flynn. “We are so grateful for the parents, volunteers and caregivers of the Bergen Bike Bus and look forward to developing safer Bergen and Dean streets that will benefit all New Yorkers using these corridors each day.”

“On this National Bike & Roll to School Day we, the Bergen Bike Bus, are overjoyed by Mayor Mamdani’s announcement. Thank you to the City leaders for hearing our weekly pleas, for riding along with us and for working to give kids the recognition they deserve as citizens and street users of NYC,” said the Bergen Bike Bus. “Biking to school is an active and fun way to start the day. Biking to school can be safe not just on a bike bus, but every day. Bergen is a bike route in name, and now DOT can begin to transform it into a true Bike Boulevard, where kids, parents and all road users feel comfortable and safe. Thank you to the kids, families and team of volunteer marshals who bring joy to Brooklyn every week and who demonstrate that biking to school benefits everyone, and thank you to the City leaders for supporting this version of free buses!”

Bike boulevards vary by neighborhood and may include protected bike lanes, sidewalk extensions, medians, traffic-calming measures and pedestrian improvements. Protected bike lanes have been shown to reduce deaths and serious injuries for all road users by 18.1% and for pedestrians by 29.2%.

The project will be implemented in phases. The City plans to release a design proposal later this year, with the first phase targeted for installation in 2027. NYC DOT has also launched a new online feedback portal to begin public engagement.

The redesign will be coordinated with several ongoing planning efforts, including the Atlantic Avenue Mixed Use Plan (AAMUP), the Flatbush Avenue busway, the Grand Army Plaza-Prospect Heights Public Realm Plan and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (MTA) Brooklyn Bus Network Redesign.

The announcement is part of the Mamdani administration’s initiatives during National Bike Month. Earlier this week, NYC DOT launched a feedback portal for the City’s secure bike parking program and released the 2026 Bike Map.