MCDONALD AVENUE BIKE LANE: DOT WILL PRESENT A NEW PROPOSAL THIS THURSDAY

 

Update: The Transportation Committee voted in favor of DOT's proposal. The full board will vote on the proposal at the Board meeting on October 21st.

 

The deadline for the public to submit comments to the board about tonight's bike lane proposal has been extended to October 6th at 5:00 p.m. E-mail comments to bk07@cb.nyc.gov.

 

The video of tonight's Transportation Committee meeting has been posted on CB 7's YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxUNMgO1IOg. The discussion about the bike lane begins at 45:29.

 

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Community Board 7

Transportation Committee:

McDonald Avenue Bike Lane 

Thursday, October 1st

6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

 

The proposal for a bike lane on McDonald Avenue is on the agenda for the next Community Board 7 Transportation Committee meeting. The Department of Transportation (DOT) will give a presentation on its third proposal.

 

The meeting will be held on Thursday, October 1st, from 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the Community Board 7 office and online via Zoom. 

 

The first proposal for a bike lane is posted here. The second proposal is posted here; it includes both the first proposal (now called "Plan A") and a second proposal (named "Plan B").

Agenda:

1.Presentation from NYS DOT on the rehabilitation of the Owl Head's viaduct

2, Presentation from NYC DOT on the proposed McDonald Avenue bike lane project

 

To attend the meeting via Zoom, register at https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_fG9th-WSTUq1rZtcV3lmuQ#/registration.

The committee meeting can also be viewed on Community Board 7's YouTube channel at https://bit.ly/3uQlAtq [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcAZ1cECSeZI8iNyQDKuX5Q].

Previous blog posts about the bike lane:

 

• BIKE LANE PROPOSED FOR MCDONALD AVENUE FROM 20TH STREET/10TH AVENUE TO FORT HAMILTON PARKWAY

• BIKE LANE PROPOSAL FOR MCDONALD AVENUE IS ON THE AGENDA OF THE COMMUNITY BOARD 7 TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE'S VIRTUAL AND IN-PERSON MEETING IN SEPTEMBER

 

• MCDONALD AVENUE TWO-WAY PROTECTED BIKE LANE AND FEWER TRAFFIC LANES, 10TH AVENUE TO FORT HAMILTON PARKWAY: FEEDBACK WILL BE SOLICITED ON A REVISED PROPOSAL AT AN ONLINE MEETING

 

Location

Community Board 7 Office

4201 4th Avenue

entrance on 43rd Street and 4th Avenue

Sunset Park, Brooklyn

phone: (718) 854-0003

fax: (718) 436-1142

bk07@cb.nyc.gov

http://www1.nyc.gov/site/brooklyncb7/index.page

https://www.facebook.com/BrooklynCB7

MCDONALD AVENUE TWO-WAY PROTECTED BIKE LANE AND FEWER TRAFFIC LANES, 10TH AVENUE TO FORT HAMILTON PARKWAY: FEEDBACK WILL BE SOLICITED ON A REVISED PROPOSAL AT AN ONLINE MEETING

 

Update: The revised proposal that DOT presented at the August 26th meeting is posted at https://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/downloads/pdf/mcdonald-ave-10-ave-20-st-ft-hamilton-pkwy-sept2026.pdf. 

 

McDonald Avenue Bike Lane

Online Workshop

Wednesday, August 26th

6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. 

 

The public's input is wanted on a revised version of the original proposal for McDonald Avenue from 10th Avenue to Fort Hamilton Parkway.

 

That original proposal called for

• a two-way protected bike lane alongside Green-Wood Cemetery,
• two parking lanes,
• two traffic lanes, and
• a center lane for turns.

The bike lane would connect the existing protected bike lanes on 20th Street and Fort Hamilton Parkway, creating a continuous connection between the Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway and Prospect Park. 

 

Presented to Community Board 7 in June 2025, that proposal was revised based on feedback from the public.

 

The revised proposal will be shared at an online workshop next Wednesday, and a new round of feedback will be solicited. The workshop will be held in advance of a future Department of Transportation presentation to Community Board 7. The date of that presentation hasn't been announced yet.

 

Next week's workshop will be held on Wednesday, August 26th, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. It will be online only, with participation either on Zoom or by phone.

 

Register for the New York City Department of Transportation workshop at https://zoom.us/meeting/register/qQ-4vSpdQKCxUkyZAchsGw#/registration. NYC DOT will send you an e-mail confirming your registration.

 

For details about the original proposal and previous meetings, see these KARMABrooklyn blog posts: 

• https://karmabrooklyn.blogspot.com/2025/06/bike-lane-proposed-for-mcdonald-avenue.html  

• https://karmabrooklyn.blogspot.com/2025/08/bike-lane-proposal-for-mcdonald-avenue.html.

BIKE LANE PROPOSED FOR 36TH STREET/37TH STREET SIDE OF GREEN-WOOD CEMETERY

Update, July 27, 2026: Green-Wood Cemetery announced today that it has received $4 million from the New York City Council to fund community outreach and design. 

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Green-Wood Cemetery has proposed installing a two-way protected bike lane* on the 36th Street/37th Street side (the southern side) of the cemetery, as shown in Green-Wood's rendering above. 

 

Green-Wood has also proposed an entrance to the cemetery at 9th Avenue and 37th Street. A 1901 map of the cemetery from the David Rumsey Map Collection shows an entrance that used to be at that location (the "Southern Entrance"). 

 

*From Transportation Alternatives:

What is a protected bike lane?

Protected bike lanes, unlike paint-only bike lanes, provide physical protection between people riding bikes and vehicle traffic. In New York City, there are three main types of protected bike lanes.

 

Jersey barriers

Jersey barriers use concrete to provide separation between vehicles and people using the bike lane.

 

Parking-protected

Parking-protected bike lanes use a lane of parking to separate people using the bike lane from vehicle traffic.

 

Flexible delineators

DOT also uses flexible delineator, a.k.a. flexi-posts, to provide physical separation between bike riders and vehicle traffic. In late 2021, DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez promised to upgrade half of these barriers with sturdier materials, such as concrete.

 

An article in Streetsblog, "Green-Wood Cemetery Wants Protected Bike Lane, New Sunset Park Entrance," describes the area as

a "no man’s land" strip of tractor-trailer parking and illegal dumping. 

Green-Wood's proposal

would swap an underused curbside parking lane on 36th Street and 37th Street for a two-way bikeway and expanded sidewalks.

 

On Fort Hamilton Parkway, [Green-Wood President Meera] Joshi and company proposed splitting an existing sidewalk into a bike lane and pedestrian path with planters and benches to be maintained by cemetery staff.

Green-Wood has asked the city to contribute about 20% of the total cost.

BIKE LANE PROPOSAL FOR MCDONALD AVENUE IS ON THE AGENDA OF THE COMMUNITY BOARD 7 TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE'S VIRTUAL AND IN-PERSON MEETING IN SEPTEMBER

 

Update: The recording of the meeting has been posted on CB 7's YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5uaF5yE5Rs.

 

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Community Board 7

Transportation Committee Meeting

Wednesday, September 3rd, 6:30 p.m.

 

From Community Board 7:

The CB7 Transportation Committee will meet on Wednesday, September 3 @ 6:30 p.m. at the CB7 Office-4201 4^th Avenue (enter on 43rd Street & 4^th Avenue).

Agenda:

1. NYC Ferry Route Optimization - 2025 NYC Ferry Network Optimization | NYCEDC; Discuss implications and requests for CB7
    
2. Committee Discussion on McDonald Avenue from 20 St to Ft Hamilton Pkwy - See Presentation from DOT
    
3. Committee Discussion on fall/winter Transportation Committee agenda Items

You can attend in person or register to attend virtually on Zoom: https://bit.ly/3ULuCqO

You can view the committee meeting on the Brooklyn Community Board 7's YouTube Channel: 
https://bit.ly/2ROsJwJ 

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A two-way parking-protected bike lane has been proposed for the west side of McDonald Avenue (the Green-Wood Cemetery side) from the 20th Street/10th Avenue intersection to Fort Hamilton Parkway.

The Department of Transportation presented its proposal to the Community Board 7 Transportation Committee at the committee's in-person and virtual meeting on June 10th.

Vehicles would travel in one northbound lane and one southbound lane; the center lane would become a turn lane.

Bus boarding islands would be constructed to prevent buses from interfering with the flow of traffic when they stop to let passengers on and off.

The bus stop at Terrace Place and McDonald Avenue would be eliminated. 

The length of the traffic signals would be coordinated; they currently last for varying lengths of time.

A physical barrier between the bike lane and vehicle traffic would eventually be installed, but initially, paint would serve as an indication to drivers to stay out of the bike lane.

At the June 10th meeting, committee members and neighborhood residents raised a number of questions and issues about the proposal. Because committee members said that they needed time to consider the proposal as well as to study residents' comments, they didn't vote on the proposal on June 10th. 

The discussion will continue at a Transportation Committee meeting on Wednesday, September 3rd. 

The entire June 10th committee meeting can be viewed on CB 7's YouTube page at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6UAzgCXhdc. The presentation about the bike lane starts at 1:12:45.

DOT's nineteen-page PowerPoint presentation is posted at https://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/downloads/pdf/mcdonald-ave-10-ave-20-st-ft-hamilton-pkwy-jun2025.pdf.

Location

Community Board 7 Office

4201 4th Avenue

entrance on 43rd Street and 4th Avenue

Sunset Park, Brooklyn

phone: (718) 854-0003

fax: (718) 436-1142

bk07@cb.nyc.gov

http://www1.nyc.gov/site/brooklyncb7/index.page

https://www.facebook.com/BrooklynCB7

BIKE LANE PROPOSED FOR MCDONALD AVENUE FROM 20TH STREET/10TH AVENUE TO FORT HAMILTON PARKWAY

Update, June 12th: The proposed bike lane won't be on the agenda at the June 25th Transportation Committee meeting due to time constraints.

Update, June 19th: The presentation has been posted at https://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/downloads/pdf/mcdonald-ave-10-ave-20-st-ft-hamilton-pkwy-jun2025.pdf.

Update, June 19th: Share your opinions with CB 7 on the Department of Transportation’s plan for a two-way bike lane on McDonald Avenue. Send an e-mail to CB 7 at bk07@cb.nyc.gov. 

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A two-way parking-protected bike lane has been proposed for the west side of McDonald Avenue (the Green-Wood Cemetery side) from the 20th Street/10th Avenue intersection to Fort Hamilton Parkway.

The Department of Transportation presented the proposal at Tuesday night's Community Board 7 Transportation Committee meeting.

Vehicles would travel in one northbound lane and one southbound lane; the center lane would become a turn lane.

Bus boarding islands would be constructed to prevent buses from interfering with the flow of traffic when they stop to let passengers on and off.

The bus stop at Terrace Place and McDonald Avenue would be eliminated. 

The length of the traffic signals would be coordinated; they currently last for different lengths of time.

A physical barrier between the bike lane and vehicle traffic would eventually be installed, but initially, paint would serve as an indication to drivers to stay out of the bike lane.

Committee members and neighborhood residents raised a number of questions and issues about the proposal in person and in the Zoom chat. Because committee members need time to consider the proposal as well as study residents' comments, the committee didn't vote on the proposal on Tuesday night. 

Instead, the discussion will continue at the June 25th meeting of the Transportation Committee. Information about how to participate at the June 25th meeting, either in person or via Zoom, will be provided on this blog when it becomes available.

[Update from Community Board 7, June 12, 2025: The proposed bike lane won't be on the agenda at the June 25th Transportation Committee meeting due to time constraints.] 

The entire committee meeting can be viewed on CB 7's YouTube page at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6UAzgCXhdc. The presentation about the bike lane starts at 1:12:45.

You can get a copy of DOT's nineteen-page PowerPoint presentation by writing to the Community Board 7 office at bk07@cb.nyc.gov.

FORT HAMILTON PARKWAY OVERPASS CLOSURE

 

 

Closure of the Fort Hamilton Parkway overpass from Park Circle to E. 5th Street will start on Tuesday, June 15th. The existing barrier-protected lane will be widened to accommodate two-way bicycle traffic.

 

Community Board 7 provided this information.

 

The closure is part of the Department of Transportation's larger project of improving bicycle safety on Fort Hamilton Parkway from Park Circle to Dahill Road.

 

The DOT's presentation about the entire Fort Hamilton Parkway project is posted at https://www1.nyc.gov/html/dot/downloads/pdf/fort-hamilton-pkwy-aug2020.pdf.

PROTECTED BIKE LANE PROPOSED FOR FORT HAMILTON PARKWAY

Fort Hamilton Parkway Bike Lane

Monday, August 3rd, 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. 

The Department of Transportation will make a presentation online about the proposed protected bike lane for the Windsor Terrace portion of Fort Hamilton Parkway.

The DOT will meet online with Community Board 7's Transportation Committee meeting on Monday, August 3rd, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The meeting is open to the public. 

Originally scheduled for March, the meeting was postponed because of the pandemic. The DOT proposes to make improvements on Fort Hamilton Parkway, between Dahill Road and Park Circle, for safer, more direct bicycle routes connecting Prospect Park to Windsor Terrace and Kensington.

 

To attend the meeting, register at https://nyccb.webex.com/nyccb/onstage/g.php?MTID=e22245cee60150ad64aa5030127ae92be. 

Misinterpretation of last May's DOT presentation to the committee led to the spread of misinformation that alleged that twenty-five parking spaces would be lost. The net loss will be one space. See page 17 of the proposal (https://www1.nyc.gov/html/dot/downloads/pdf/fort-hamilton-pkwy-aug2020.pdf) for details.

PROTECTED BIKE LANE PROPOSAL FOR FORT HAMILTON PARKWAY IN WINDSOR TERRACE

UPDATE: Meeting postponed because of the pandemic.

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Community Board 7 Transportation Committee Meeting
Monday, March 16th, 6:30 p.m.

Community Board 7's Transportation Committee will meet on Monday, March 16th, at 6:30 p.m. The agenda is as follows:

• Presentation from the MTA on its Brooklyn Bus Network Redesign: Existing Conditions Report

• Proposal by the New York City Department of Transportation to make improvements on Fort Hamilton Parkway, between Dahill Road and Park Circle, for safer, more direct bicycle routes connecting Prospect Park to Windsor Terrace and Kensington

See the full proposal for the protected bike lane here.

 

Committee meetings are open to the public.

Meeting location
Community Board 7 Office
4201 4th Avenue
entrance on 43rd Street
Sunset Park, Brooklyn