Department Of Transportation

July 7, 2025

Astoria’s 31st Avenue gets two-way bike boulevard, more pedestrian space

The first round of pedestrian and cyclist safety upgrades along 31st Avenue in Astoria is now complete, with more improvements on the way. On Thursday, Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez announced the completion of the first phase of the corridor’s transformation into a bike boulevard, including a new east-west protected bike connection from Vernon Boulevard to Steinway Street that creates a continuous protected route from Astoria to the Queensboro Bridge. The project also expands pedestrian space, upgrades intersections to slow turning vehicles, and adds new public seating.
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July 3, 2025

NYC traffic deaths hit record low in first half of 2025

Traffic deaths in New York City have hit a record low in 2025, marking a significant milestone in the city’s efforts to improve street safety. On Wednesday, Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez announced that there have been 87 traffic-related fatalities so far this year, tied with 2018 and the lowest number since the city began tracking the metric in 1910. Fatalities have dropped 32 percent compared to the first half of 2024, with all vehicle types showing declines, including a 39 percent decrease in deaths involving motorized two-wheelers like e-bikes and a 48 percent decline for motor vehicles.
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July 2, 2025

This year’s ‘Summer Streets’ will run length of Manhattan, with car-free corridor from Brooklyn Bridge to Inwood

More than 22 miles of car-free streets will open to New Yorkers for outdoor recreation and summer fun starting this month. On Tuesday, Mayor Eric Adams announced the city's largest ever "Summer Streets" program, which will dedicate select roadways across all five boroughs to pedestrians and cyclists from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on five consecutive Saturdays, from July 26 through August 23. Notably, for the first time, Summer Streets will run the length of Manhattan, offering car-free streets from the Brooklyn Bridge to Dyckman Street in Inwood.
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June 27, 2025

NYC taps landscape architect to reimagine Park Avenue

New York City has selected a landscape architect to lead the pedestrian-focused transformation of Park Avenue. Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez on Thursday announced that an 18-month contract has been awarded to Starr Whitehouse Landscape Architects and Planners to redesign a portion of the iconic corridor between East 46th and East 57th Streets. The project will widen the median and install pedestrian upgrades, new seating, landscaping, and innovative streetscape amenities.
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June 12, 2025

NYC unveils new intersection design to better protect cyclists, pedestrians

New York City is rolling out a new intersection design aimed at better protecting pedestrians and cyclists at crash-prone locations. Unveiled Wednesday by Department of Transportation Commissioner (DOT) Ydanis Rodriguez, the design uses "hardened daylighting tools"—such as concrete barriers, planters, and other structures—to improve visibility at intersections, where roughly half of all traffic fatalities occur. The DOT plans to implement the design at select high-crash intersections alongside new and existing bike lanes across the city starting this year.
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June 9, 2025

Flatbush Avenue overhaul includes center-running bus lanes and pedestrian islands

New York City has proposed new center-running bus lanes along parts of Flatbush Avenue to improve safety and speed up service on one of the city’s most dangerous corridors. Unveiled Friday by the Department of Transportation (DOT), the project would convert two center car lanes into bus lanes from Livingston Street to Grand Army Plaza, better serving the nearly 70,000 daily bus riders who currently face average speeds of under 4 miles per hour—about the same speed as walking. The plan also includes pedestrian islands with covered public seating, shorter crossing times, and updated curb regulations to support local businesses.
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June 6, 2025

City unveils new public art on medians, sidewalks, and streets across NYC

New York City has commissioned five vibrant pieces of art, one in each borough, to enliven public spaces. On Wednesday, Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez announced plans for temporary, site-specific pieces through the agency’s Community Commissions initiative. The projects range from sculptures to asphalt murals, including "Public Access" on Staten Island, "Aunties" in Manhattan, "Limes" in Brooklyn, "Weaving the Future: A Vessel of Water, Roots, and Community" in the Bronx, and "About a Living Culture" in Queens.
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June 3, 2025

Artist Isolina Minjeong’s Downtown Brooklyn ground murals feel like ‘quiet blessings’

Downtown Brooklyn just got brighter and safer, thanks to a colorful new public art installation. In the ground murals titled "Fear No Frontier," New York City-based artist Isolina Minjeong channels her Korean and Peruvian heritage with a bold design depicting powerful creatures, like tigers and dragons, a tribute to the resilience of New Yorkers. The vibrant piece measures roughly 10,700 square feet across the Department of Transportation's (DOT) Shared Streets and the area surrounding the Jay Street busway. Ahead, learn more about the murals and hear from Minjeong, who said she wanted the artwork to feel like "quiet blessings."
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May 21, 2025

NYC unveils plan for dedicated busway on 34th Street

New York City plans to transform a busy stretch of 34th Street in Manhattan into a busway to improve sluggish crosstown commutes. The Department of Transportation (DOT) unveiled plans for a dedicated lane along 34th Street between Third and Ninth Avenues for buses, trucks, and emergency vehicles, which could boost speeds by up to 15 percent for the more than two dozen bus routes that use the corridor. Modeled after the successful 14th Street busway, the plan would still permit other vehicles to enter but require them to make the next available legal turn off the street.
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May 16, 2025

CityPickle unveils plan for huge pickleball hub under the Brooklyn Bridge

CityPickle on Friday released its plan to transform two parking lots beneath the Brooklyn Bridge in Dumbo into a pickleball hub. The project, slated for Anchorage Plaza—an area under the bridge between Old Fulton and Washington Streets—takes up 60,000 square feet and features 11 pickleball courts, food trucks, green space with planters, games, seating, shaded areas, bike racks, and space for community programming. CityPickle was selected by the city’s Parks Department last June to revitalize the underused space, which will operate from March through November.
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May 13, 2025

Queensboro Bridge to open separate paths for cyclists and pedestrians

The Queensboro Bridge will finally have separate paths for cyclists and pedestrians, starting this weekend. Mayor Eric Adams on Tuesday announced that the bridge’s north outer roadway is now a dedicated bike lane and the south outer roadway, a pedestrian-only path. Originally announced in 2021, the project was expected to open in March, but was abruptly delayed by the mayor, who required a "full briefing" before the path could open, as Streetsblog reported.
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April 4, 2025

Car-free Earth Day celebration kicks off NYC’s Open Streets season

New York City's Open Streets season kicks off on April 26 with its largest Car-Free Earth Day celebration ever, turning more than 54 streets across the five boroughs into vibrant public spaces. The Department of Transportation (DOT) on Thursday announced that the city's annual Car-Free Earth Day will include a record-breaking 54 streets and plazas, along with expanded programming in Queens, Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Staten Island.
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March 17, 2025

NYC proposes allowing mopeds on Brooklyn and Queensboro bridges

Moped riders may soon be allowed to ride alongside cars on the Brooklyn Bridge and the lower level of the Queensboro Bridge. Under a proposed rule by the Department of Transportation, registered mopeds with license plates would be allowed on the Brooklyn and Queensboro Bridges. The ban would remain on Manhattan and Williamsburg Bridges, and the upper level of Queensboro. There is currently no legal route for mopeds to travel across the East River, as riders are prohibited from using the motor vehicle lanes and protected bike lanes on all roadways. As first reported by Streetsblog, the city hopes the rule change prevents conflicts between moped riders, pedestrians, and cyclists.
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March 10, 2025

Redesign of Central Park drives will add space for pedestrians and cyclists

The redesign of Central Park's six-mile loop road is moving forward, with repaving set to begin next week. On Thursday, city officials announced milling and repaving work will begin on Monday, March 17, to improve the safety of pedestrians, cyclists, and e-vehicle users along the route by clearly separating their spaces. The project will begin by revamping the middle and southern sections of the Central Park loop, from 96th Street on the West Drive to 90th Street on the East Drive, with repaving of the northern section scheduled for next year.
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March 5, 2025

NYC proposes wider bike lanes along 12 blocks of Sixth Avenue

With vehicle traffic down since the start of congestion pricing, New York City is moving forward with plans to widen bike lanes along a roughly 12-block stretch of Sixth Avenue in Manhattan. During a presentation to Manhattan Community Board 5's transportation committee last week, the city's Department of Transportation (DOT) unveiled plans to upgrade the protected bike lane along Sixth Avenue from 14th Street to 35th Street. The proposal includes removing one lane of traffic to make space for a 10-foot-wide cycling lane, building on a project from last summer that widened the bike lanes from West 9th Street to West 13th Street.
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February 12, 2025

City plans $57M redesign of 42nd Street to prevent terror attacks

New York City is investing $57 million to redesign part of West 42nd Street to prevent vehicle-based terror attacks, like the recent truck incident on Bourbon Street in New Orleans. Starting next summer, the city's Department of Transportation will revamp the street between 7th and 8th avenues in the Theater District with wider sidewalks, new security bollards, and planters. As first reported by Crain's, the project also includes much-needed upgrades to aging water and sewer lines beneath the street.
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February 5, 2025

City launches program to bring public art installations to NYC streets and sidewalks

New York City's Department of Transportation is calling upon artists to help bring some vibrancy to city streets. DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez on Wednesday announced the launch of the NYC DOT Art Partners initiative, which invites community organizations to install temporary public art on the agency's property, including medians, triangles, sidewalks, and fully pedestrianized asphalt spaces. The agency issued a request for proposals, with submissions accepted on a rolling basis.
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January 27, 2025

NYC speed cameras reduce speeding by 94%, new report says

Speed cameras have reduced speeding by 94 percent at locations across New York City, according to a new report from the Department of Transportation. DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez on Thursday released the report on the city's speed camera program, which highlighted the critical role of speed cameras in improving street safety. The report found that locations with speed cameras installed in 2022 saw a 14 percent decrease in injuries and fatalities compared to areas without them.
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December 13, 2024

NYC is selling more ‘Cornelia Street’ signs on Taylor Swift’s birthday

Here's a chance to make the Swiftie in your life very happy this holiday season. Back by popular demand, the New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) is selling a limited quantity of authentic, commemorative Cornelia Street signs as part of its monthly "sign drops." The signs, which cost $75, will be available for purchase starting Friday, December 13 at 12:13 p.m., coinciding with the pop star's birthday. Taylor Swift once rented a home on the Greenwich Village street, which she name-dropped in her 2019 song "Cornelia Street."
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November 18, 2024

More public space opens under the Brooklyn Bridge in Manhattan

New Yorkers can now enjoy more public space under the Brooklyn Bridge in Manhattan. The latest phase of "The Arches" opened on Monday, adding 15,000 square feet of park space to an area closed to the public for more than a decade, the city's Department of Transportation announced. The space, now with lush greenery and new seating, had been closed for nearly 15 years while serving as a staging site for several bridge restoration projects. The Arches sits next to the Brooklyn Banks, a haven for skateboarders that partially reopened last year.
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October 29, 2024

‘Smart Curbs’ program to optimize curb space on the Upper West Side

The streets of the Upper West Side will soon better suit community needs as part of a new initiative by the Department of Transportation. DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez on Monday announced the launch of the agency's "Smart Curbs" pilot program on the Upper West Side, which will modernize the streets by adding neighborhood loading zones, bike corrals, and other amenities and policies to create cleaner, more vibrant, and less congested public spaces from West 86th to West 72nd Streets, between Broadway and Central Park West.
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October 10, 2024

NYC unveils proposals to turn dreary areas under the BQE into vibrant public spaces

Decrepit, drab spaces beneath the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway could soon be transformed into vibrant public areas. The city's Department of Transportation (DOT) on Wednesday published a report with proposals to convert a space under the BQE at Park Avenue in Fort Greene into an e-bike charging and storage station for delivery workers and to redesign a congested intersection at West 9th Street to improve pedestrian and cyclist safety. The report also proposed capping trenched sections of the BQE in Carroll Gardens, Williamsburg, and Bay Ridge to create parks and public spaces above the expressway.
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October 4, 2024

100+ NYC streets will go car-free for fun Halloween activities

New York City's Halloween open streets program returns for its biggest year yet, featuring over 100 participating locations. Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez on Thursday announced the "Trick-or Streets" initiative, which closes streets, plazas, and other commercial corridors across the five boroughs to cars to provide space for fun, spooky-themed activities throughout October.
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October 3, 2024

NYC restores original ‘road diet’ plan for McGuinness Boulevard

In an unexpected reversal by Mayor Eric Adams' administration, Greenpoint's McGuinness Boulevard will get protected bike lanes after all. After revealing a scaled-back redesign of the corridor less than two months ago, the city's Department of Transportation (DOT) on Wednesday announced that it will instead proceed with the original proposal to install protected bike lanes and reduce lanes of traffic by four to two along busy McGuinness Boulevard. Adams had previously supported a watered-down redesign that extended a bike lane but kept the same number of traffic lanes and excluded a protected bike lane due to community concerns.
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October 1, 2024

Construction begins on new 96th Street bus lanes

The daily commute for 15,500 bus riders in Manhattan is about to speed up. Construction officially began this week on 1.7 miles of new bus lanes on 96th Street, stretching between West End Avenue on the Upper West Side and Second Avenue on the Upper East Side, the city's Department of Transportation announced Monday. The redesign of 96th Street includes dedicated bus lanes for the M96 and M106 routes, left-turn bays, and treatments to "calm turning drivers' speeds," according to the agency.
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