Flatbush Streets for People

Flatbush, East Flatbush, Midwood, and Kensington are some of our city's most vibrant and diverse neighborhoods. Students, parents, shoppers, and commuters walk, bike, or use mobility aids to get around. Delivery workers bring food, medicine, and groceries from local businesses in dense commercial areas to residents near and far.

But the street design in these neighborhoods' puts all of us at risk.

Sidewalks and crosswalks are cramped and crowded. Pedestrian and bicyclist injuries and deaths are too common. Buses are jam-packed and crawl along congested streets, and many riders find it difficult to board at all because bus stops are constantly blocked.

Our goal is to transform our unsafe streets into the complete streets that our neighborhoods deserve. Streets designed to keep children, the elderly, and all of our neighbors safe.

This goal can be accomplished in four main ways:

Protect people crossing streets,
Protect people who bike,
Move bus riders quickly and efficiently, and
Designate dedicated space for deliveries.

Protect people crossing streets

Walking around our neighborhoods should be easy!

Adding curb-extensions, raised crosswalks, and raised intersections would protect people crossing streets. Creating pedestrian safety islands and widening sidewalks will help families with strollers and people in wheelchairs safely navigate our neighborhoods, and narrowing oversized traffic lanes would slow down vehicles, giving pedestrians dedicated time to cross streets.

Two pedestrians, crossing an intersection in the dark, silhouetted by the headlights of cars in the background. — People shouldn't need to zig zag out of the crosswalks and into the intersections to cross streets. *Flatbush Ave & Church Ave*

A man in a crosswalk with a stroller, with a car uncomfortably close, waiting to turn. — Crosswalks should be clear for people pushing strollers. *Cortelyou Rd*

Protect people who bike

Building a connected, protected bike lane network will make our streets safe to use for commuters, children, delivery workers, families, and all people who bike.

A busy street at night with a painted bike lane between the traffic lane and curbside parking. The bike lane is blocked by double parked cars and trucks. — Painted bike lanes don't actually offer protection when they're clear, and cars that block them force bicyclists into dangerous situations. *Clarendon Rd*

Looking down a two-way street with a bike lane on each side, looking towards an intersection. Double-parked cars and delivery trucks block the bike lane in several spots on both sides. — Intersections are especially dangerous for people on bikes, and that's before - especially when cars are parked where bikes expect to be. *Ocean Ave*

Move bus riders quickly and efficiently

Give buses dedicated bus lanes so bus riders can more efficiently and reliably get to their destinations. Buses are important in our neighborhoods, where many residents live far from subways, and especially for those of us who use mobility aids and cannot use our inaccessible subways.

A person riding a bike and a bus in heavy traffic on a street full of cars and trucks. — Buses run smoothly when there's not a lot of traffic, but when streets are congested, they neither move efficiently nor on schedule. *Flatbush Ave & Beverley Rd*

A bus, stopped in the travel lane, letting off passengers, next to a dump truck that's blocking the bus stop. Further ahead, another parked truck halfway blocks the travel lane, and car traffic is backing up behind the bus. — Buses are often blocked from stopping at the curb, making it harder for riders to get on and off. *Church Ave*

Designate dedicated space for deliveries

Designate both commercial and neighborhood loading zones so local businesses, delivery services, taxis, and personal vehicles can load and unload safely and efficiently while keeping our streets and crosswalks safe and clear for all users.

Men unload groceries from a double-parked truck, while cars squeeze around on the wrong side of the street. Futher down the street, only trucks are visible, including a tractor-trailer that appears to be having trouble getting through. — Roads often grind to a halt because delivery companies don't have dedicated spaces. *Church Ave & E 18th St*

On a wide road, a cyclist merges into car traffic to pass a double-parked FedEx truck that's blocking an entire lane. — Bicyclists are often forced into the main roadway without warning because trucks don't have spaces to unload. *Coney Island Ave & Hinckley Pl*

These changes will make our neighborhoods safer and easier to navigate for everyone — people driving, walking, biking, and taking public transit.

Sign our petition!

and get involved to make our neighborhoods' streets safer for all of us.

Flatbush Walk & Talk for Safer Streets

Our Goals

Protect people crossing streets

Protect people who bike

Move bus riders quickly and efficiently

Designate dedicated space for deliveries