Travelling on Livingston Street in downtown Brooklyn just got a whole lot easier.
New York City Department of Transportation said it completed its Livingston Street redesign, which included the installation of about a mile of newly designed bus lanes from Boerum Place to Flatbush Avenue, as well as seven intersection redesigns to make bus service faster and more reliable.
“Our redesign of Livingston Street has transformed what was a congested, double-parked corridor into two-way fully protected and dedicated bus lanes to get bus riders where they’re going faster— while also preserving access and enhancing safety for everyone,” said Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez in a satement. “Bus riders deserve fast and reliable service so that they spend less time in transit and more time with their families and friends, or at important appointments.”
The redesigned Livingston Street corridor serves four bus routes, the B41, B45, B67, and B103, and better connects those riders to seven subway lines— 2, 3, 4, 5, A, C, and G— as well as important destinations like the Fulton Mall and Brooklyn Borough Hall.
Livingston Street was converted from two-way to one-way westbound for general traffic to provide fully separated dedicated space for buses. The redesign places two-way bus lanes on the south side of the street and general traffic, parking, and loading on the north side. With the installation of new concrete bus boarding islands and plastic barriers, the buses are physically protected from traffic. There are new loading regulations, including commercial meters, on the north side of the corridor throughout the length of the project to better manage deliveries and improve parking availability for drivers.
Livingston Street is located in a Vision Zero priority area, defined as locations around the city with a high density of traffic deaths and serious injuries. There were 13 traffic deaths or serious injuries recorded on this stretch of Livingston Street between 2016 and 2020, with the most common pedestrian injury involving turning vehicles striking pedestrians legally crossing with the traffic signal.
To calm turning drivers and better protect pedestrians, the DOT redesigned seven intersections along the corridor with either newly painted pedestrian sidewalk extensions or concrete pedestrian islands. The new pedestrian space significantly reduces the distance between crosswalks and helps calm vehicles as they make turns.
