City Kicks Off Bike Lane Construction On McGuinness Boulevard

BROOKLYN, NY — Roadwork on McGuinness Boulevard to add parking-protected bike lanes and pedestrian islands has officially begun, marking the end of a saga that included fiery town halls and community board meetings, protests, and lots of bureaucratic back-and-forth.

According to the New York City Department of Transportation, the redesign and construction process — which will run from Calyer Street to Meeker Avenue on McGuinness Boulevard — should take several weeks, and during that time, drivers should expect delays.

Though some preparatory work began last week, a significant portion of the roadway reconfiguration begins on Monday, with the removal of existing street markings.

As part of the redesign, the DOT will install one lane for driving, one lane for parking, one lane for biking and one lane for loading and unloading trucks in each direction.

The DOT will also add several pedestrian islands at crosswalks, to shorten the crossing distance for pedestrians.

“Our redesign will make McGuinness Boulevard safer for everyone on the street—whether you’re biking, walking, or riding a bicycle,” said DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez. “We anticipate some minor delays during our implementation and we appreciate New Yorkers’ patience as we deliver this life-saving work.”

DOT officials said the redesign is estimated to be complete by the end of the year.

"We could not be more excited to finally be getting the plan for McGuinness that Greenpoint deserves," the organizers from the pro-bike lane group Make McGuinness Safe said on Instagram, following the announcement that construction has started.