New York City plans to begin a 2.1-mile safety redesign of Brooklyn’s Third Avenue redesign in 2027, with a second construction phase planned for 2028.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Transportation Commissioner Mike Flynn announced the project Oct. 28. It covers Third Avenue from 62nd Street to 20th Street, adding pedestrian islands, redesigned intersections and protected bicycle lanes along the center median.
Two phases, not an overnight change
The city’s schedule starts with Third Avenue between 62nd and 43rd streets in 2027, along with a two-way protected bicycle connection on 60th Street between Second and Fourth avenues. Work from 43rd to 20th streets is planned for 2028.
City officials said new islands and extensions could reduce the distance pedestrians cross moving traffic by as much as half. They reported 17 traffic deaths on the corridor over the past decade.
The announced schedule is a plan, not evidence that the new street layout is already in place. Read the city’s Oct. 28 project announcement.
CBS New York also reported the redesign announcement Oct. 28.
Why the layout changed
Brownstoner reported that the new design moves bicycle lanes into the median rather than putting them along the curb as an earlier proposal did. That placement is intended to reduce conflicts with delivery vehicles and traffic entering businesses. Read Brownstoner’s Oct. 29 report.
Residents comparing plans should use the newly announced design rather than assume earlier workshop drawings remain the final proposal. The useful details to watch next are block-by-block work dates, crossing access during construction and the city’s implementation updates. The announcement supplies a two-year sequence, not a daily construction or detour schedule.
