Construction has begun on a major overhaul of DeKalb and Lafayette avenues in Brooklyn, a project the city says will make the B38 bus faster for its 18,000 daily riders while adding protected bike lanes and safer crossings along one of the borough’s busiest east-west corridors.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani and New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) Commissioner Mike Flynn announced the groundbreaking on Thursday, November 5, framing the redesign as part of a broader push to speed up buses across all five boroughs.
2.7 miles of new bus lanes
The work covers DeKalb Avenue from Broadway to Flatbush Avenue and Lafayette Avenue from Ashland Place to Patchen Avenue. Together, the two stretches will receive 2.7 miles of new offset and curbside bus lanes, along with protected bike lanes and additional safety upgrades aimed at pedestrians.
The corridor links Downtown Brooklyn with Bed-Stuy and Bushwick, neighborhoods where residents depend heavily on transit. According to the city, 80% of people living within a quarter-mile of the B38 get to work by public transit, bike or on foot, and most households there do not own a car.
“New Yorkers shouldn’t have to choose between getting where they need to go on time and getting there safely,” Mamdani said. “On DeKalb and Lafayette, we’re putting that principle into practice with fast buses, protected bike lanes and safer streets.”
He added that the administration “isn’t waiting a moment” to build streets that respect residents’ time and put their safety first.
A safety record that demanded action
City data show why the corridor was singled out. Since 2021, crashes on DeKalb and Lafayette avenues have injured 841 people, 47 of them seriously, and one person has been killed.
“Your zip code shouldn’t determine whether you have access to high-quality, affordable transportation,” Flynn said, adding that the redesign will raise bus speeds and reliability while creating “calmer corridors for pedestrians” and safer routes for everyone on the road.
MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber described Brooklyn as being “at the center of a bus revolution,” saying the changes come “not a moment too soon” for B38 riders.
Part of a citywide bus plan
The DeKalb and Lafayette redesign falls under Next Stop: Fast Buses, Better Service, a partnership between the Mamdani administration, Governor Kathy Hochul and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). The program targets faster, more reliable service on 175 bus routes – nearly 75% of the city’s bus network.
This year, the administration has also moved forward with bus and street safety projects on:
- The Bronx: Fordham Road, 161st Street and Tremont Avenue
- Manhattan: 34th Street, 116th Street, Madison Avenue and Lexington Avenue
- Brooklyn: Marcy Avenue, Flatbush Avenue, Utica Avenue, Church Avenue and Linden Boulevard
- Queens: Broadway
- Staten Island: Victory Boulevard
City officials say the projects share a single goal: shorter commutes, more dependable service and safer streets for the millions of New Yorkers who get around by bus, bike or on foot.
Source: NYC Mayor’s Office
