February 14, 2020

(Brooklyn, NY – February 13, 2020) NYC Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Polly Trottenberg and NYC Department of Design and Construction (DDC) Commissioner Lorraine Grillo announced today that a $22.7 million project to further speed buses along Brooklyn’s Utica Avenue Select Bus Service (SBS) Route has been completed. DDC managed the project for DOT, which contributes to Mayor DeBlasio’s Better Buses Action Plan, with a goal of speeding buses by 25% and enhancing existing bus lanes throughout NYC. In addition, the project enhances pedestrian safety and infrastructure along this Vision Zero corridor in recognition that pedestrian safety and accessible bus stops help to encourage bus ridership.

An $84 million infrastructure project in Brookville is part of the overall $1.9 billion program to improve street and flooding conditions throughout southeast Queens.

“We are proud that across Brooklyn from Kings Plaza Mall to Bed-Stuy, 44,000 daily B46 Select Bus Service riders are seeing faster and more reliable commutes,” said DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg. “After implementing SBS along this corridor more than three years ago, we have seen the busiest route in Brooklyn bus service bring its riders faster and more reliable bus service. Thanks to our partners at DDC and DEP, the additional improvements and Vision Zero enhancements along Utica Avenue will help us continue that progress.”

“By coordinating with our partner agencies we have built new water mains to better serve the residents and businesses of Brooklyn while also delivering world-class pedestrian and transit improvements, said DEP Commissioner Vincent Sapienza. “Thank you to DDC for managing this project and we look forward to coordinating on similar initiatives across the five boroughs.”

“These upgrades along the B46 Select Bus Service route make bus service faster and more reliable, and the streets safer for riders and pedestrians alike,” said DDC Commissioner Lorraine Grillo. “DDC partners with DOT to bring the Mayor’s Vision Zero initiatives to every neighborhood.”

New traffic islands on Utica Avenue calm traffic and make it safer for pedestrians to cross the street.

The project installed 29 new reinforced-concrete bus pads along the route of the B46, the busiest bus route in Brooklyn, from Avenue N to Eastern Parkway. Thirty-two neckdowns were created at intersections to control traffic and shorten the distance pedestrians have to walk to cross the street. An additional 12 bus bulbs were built, expanding sidewalk space near bus stops, and two new traffic island were created at Crown Street and at Rutland Road. The project also included 11 curbs extensions around two nearby schools along the corridor, PS 208 and PS 221, as part of DOT’s School Safety program.

New traffic signals, street lighting and signage were installed along the length of the project area, along with new asphalt in many areas plus new pavement striping and markings. Almost 83,000 square feet of new sidewalks were installed and one mile of new water mains were constructed. A total of 15 older fire hydrants were replaced with new ones and 62 new catch basins were added to improve street drainage.

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