We, the undersigned, care deeply about the safety and well-being of everyone in our neighborhood — drivers, cyclists, pedestrians, seniors, children, and families alike. While we support the goal of expanding safe bike infrastructure in our city, we strongly believe that the Department of Transportation’s current proposal to install a two-way protected bike lane on McDonald Avenue between 20th Street and Fort Hamilton Parkway is not the safest or most practical solution. This section of McDonald Avenue is also a Truck Highway (27) to Long Island. Bike lanes do not belong on truck routes.
Here’s why this plan would put our community at risk:
- Traffic and safety at school zones: Trucks exiting the expressway at 10th Avenue already create congestion near a school. Reducing lanes on McDonald will worsen backups, increasing noise, pollution, and danger for children crossing the street.
- Bus and pedestrian conflicts: McDonald Avenue is a major bus route. Narrowing lanes will make it harder and more dangerous for riders — especially seniors, people with disabilities, and children — to safely get on and off buses.
- Emergency access: With two hospitals nearby, ambulances and fire trucks rely on McDonald as a direct, fast route. Gridlock here could cost lives.
- With a single lane in each direction, any double-parked vehicle brings traffic to a standstill (UPS, FedEx, Amazon, Oil Delivery).
- Neighborhood needs: Many residents, especially the elderly, need door-to-door access. With fewer parking and loading spaces, double parking will increase, creating more hazards for everyone.
Cyclist safety: Placing a two-way bike lane on a truck-heavy, high-traffic corridor puts cyclists themselves at greater risk.
A safer alternative exists:
Safer, quieter, parallel residential streets already exist that would serve riders better without disrupting emergency services, buses, and deliveries.
- Uses calmer residential streets, making it far safer for cyclists.
- Creates a bike route three times longer than the McDonald Avenue proposal.
- Connects four Brooklyn neighborhoods — South Slope, Windsor Terrace, Kensington, and Parkville.
- Contributes more total mileage toward Mayor Adams’ 300-mile pledge for new bike lanes.
We are not opposing bike lanes. On the contrary, we believe that all New Yorkers deserve safe, well-designed streets — cyclists included. But the current McDonald Avenue plan sacrifices the safety and quality of life of thousands of residents to squeeze a bike lane into a truck and bus corridor. That helps no one.
Our request:
We call on the DOT to pause this plan and work with the community to find a better alternative — one that protects cyclists while also keeping our streets safe and functional for children, seniors, emergency vehicles, buses, and the businesses that depend on McDonald Avenue.
Together, we can build safer, more inclusive streets — but only if we plan them wisely.
Please add your name and address below to sign the petition.
