Press Releases
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 21, 2023
Contact: (212) 839-4850, press@dot.nyc.gov
Open Streets: NYC DOT to Cut Ribbon on Underhill Plaza in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn
Newest pedestrian plaza creates welcoming neighborhood gateway on Underhill Avenue between Atlantic Avenue and Pacific Street
The plaza marks the first step in transforming all of Underhill Avenue into a ‘bike boulevard,’ building on the successful Open Street with a permanent redesign
WHAT: DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez, local elected officials, and community partners will celebrate the completion of a new pedestrian plaza on Underhill Avenue ahead of the corridor’s transformation into a bike boulevard later this year. Underhill Avenue is one of two major Open Streets in Prospect Heights (the other is Vanderbilt Avenue) slated to receive permanent upgrades providing more space for pedestrians and cyclists. These Open Streets have bolstered local businesses and quickly developed into celebrated community spaces.
The Underhill Avenue Bike Boulevard will feature a street design that prioritizes bicycle and pedestrian traffic, while still allowing for safe local vehicular access. DOT’s new design will calm vehicular traffic, shorten street crossings, and create safe, welcoming spaces for cyclists and pedestrians. DOT is committed to both expanding the Open Streets program while upgrading existing locations with redesigns that move beyond the need for movable barriers. More details on the design can be found on the DOT’s website.
"I am proud to build on the success of our flourishing Open Streets program by cutting the ribbon on Underhill Plaza, a great example of how we’re developing our program spaces with new and permanent redesigns that create safer and more vibrant community spaces, said NYC Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez. "This new plaza is the first step in transforming Underhill Avenue into a new bike boulevard that calms traffic by prioritizing cyclists and pedestrians—all without the need of moveable barriers. I thank Mayor Adams, our dedicated staff, and our trusted local partners for their hard work in making this vision a reality.”