Construction to begin on protected bike lane on Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn

BROOKLYN, N.Y. (PIX11) – Construction will begin this week on a project to build a new protected bicycle lane along a stretch of Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn, the New York City Department of Transportation announced Tuesday.

The 1.5-mile protected bike lane will be built between Dean Street and Flushing Avenue in Bedford–Stuyvesant.

Additional safety improvements are planned for the portion of Bedford Avenue for both cyclists and pedestrians, including new pedestrian islands and loading zones.

Crews will begin milling Bedford Avenue between Dean Street and Lafayette Avenue this week. It could take about two to three weeks before it is paved again.

The New York City Department of Transportation expects the entire project along Bedford Avenue to be completed by the end of the year.

"Bedford Avenue has been among Brooklyn's most dangerous corridors for too long. Cyclists and pedestrians should not be forced to put their safety at risk just to commute to work, and the development of this protected bike lane will finally end that unacceptable situation," New York City Council member Chi Ossé said in a statement.