New York City has announced plans to redesign 2.1 miles, or approximately 3.4 kilometers, of Third Avenue in Brooklyn’s Sunset Park neighborhood, aiming to improve safety along a corridor where 17 people have died over the past decade.
The project will introduce protected bicycle lanes, new pedestrian islands and redesigned intersections between 62nd and 20th streets. Construction will begin in 2027.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Transportation Commissioner Mike Flynn unveiled the plans Wednesday, saying the changes would make the avenue safer for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers.
Third Avenue’s wide roadway currently leaves pedestrians facing lengthy crossings. The redesign will add sidewalk and median extensions that could cut the distance people must cross through moving traffic by as much as half.
Barrier-protected bicycle lanes will run in both directions along the center median. A connecting two-way protected bike lane on 60th Street, between Second and Fourth avenues, will also improve access near two schools.
Work will proceed in phases. The section between 62nd and 43rd streets, together with the 60th Street connection, is scheduled for 2027. Improvements between 43rd and 20th streets will follow in 2028.
The project forms part of the city’s broader Vision Zero strategy to reduce traffic deaths and serious injuries. Officials said the plan responds to years of neighborhood concerns about speeding, dangerous crossings and preventable crashes.
