Flatbush Avenue will see major road work commence this fall—here’s what Brooklyn drivers and bikers need to know

Brooklyn’s busiest bottleneck is about to get a top-to-bottom makeover. Starting this fall, the Department of Transportation will begin tearing into Flatbush Avenue between Livingston Street and Grand Army Plaza to install center-running bus lanes, a project designed to give bus riders “train-like” service while unclogging one of the borough’s most infamous traffic jams.

If you’re a bus commuter, rejoice: The redesign promises to shave precious minutes off trips on the B41 and 11 other routes that creep down Flatbush at a walking pace of under 4 mph during rush hour. If you’re a driver, brace yourself: Two car lanes are disappearing, and construction is slated to stretch through fall 2026. In the meantime, detours, cones and traffic headaches will be very much part of the scenery.

RECOMMENDED: Flatbush, Brooklyn Neighborhood Guide

In the end, six hefty concrete boarding islands will sprout in the middle of the avenue, separating buses from general traffic. More than 14,000 square feet of fresh pedestrian space will shorten dangerous crossings, while 11 new loading zones aim to keep delivery trucks from double-parking in travel lanes. Cyclists aren’t left out either—up to 14 new bike parking zones are planned along the corridor.

The stakes are high. According to DOT data, 140 people have been killed or seriously injured on Flatbush Avenue in the past five years, making it one of Brooklyn’s deadliest stretches. Officials say the new design will slow cars, protect pedestrians and keep cyclists out of the crosshairs, all while moving far more people, far more efficiently.

Of course, this isn’t Brooklyn’s first brush with bus-lane politics. The Adams administration has been accused of dragging its feet on street redesigns, canceling some (RIP, Fordham Road) and greenlighting others only after heavy pushback. Flatbush’s revamp has been years in the making and transit advocates are keeping a watchful eye to ensure this one sticks.

For now, DOT says the first phase of lane striping and painted curb extensions will roll out before winter sets in, with the heavy-duty concrete work resuming next spring. When it’s all finished, Flatbush could feel less like a parking lot and more like a transit corridor worthy of New York’s most populous borough. Until then? Expect dust, delays and plenty of honking.

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