Press Releases
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 12, 2025
Contact: (212) 839-4850, press@dot.nyc.gov
NYC DOT Launches Process to Redesign Conduit Corridor in Brooklyn and Queens to Enhance Safety and Pedestrian Accessibility
In the Past Five Years on the Conduit Between Atlantic Avenue and Lefferts Boulevard, There Have Been More Than 40 Severe Injuries and Five Deaths
Adams Administration To Hold Community Workshops for New Yorkers To Share Ideas About Improvements Along the Conduit Avenue Corridor
South Conduit Avenue and 79th Street, in Queens. NYC DOT redesigned North and South Conduit Avenue at 79th Street in 2023 to add new traffic signals, crosswalks, and a new sidewalk across the Conduit median. Credit: NYC DOT
NEW YORK – New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez today announced the launch of a new community-driven study to redesign Conduit Avenue in Brooklyn and Queens, a major, three-mile arterial street that connects Atlantic Avenue and Linden Boulevard in Brooklyn to the Belt Parkway and JFK Airport in Queens. In the past five years on the Conduit between Atlantic Avenue and Lefferts Boulevard, there have been more than 40 severe injuries and five traffic deaths. Heavy through-traffic and limited pedestrian infrastructure leaves community members with few options for safe travel along and across this stretch of roadway. Informal, unpaved pathways across the median show a desire for improved pedestrian access while speed cameras along Conduit Boulevard consistently log the highest number of speed violations of any locations citywide, suggesting a need for a redesign that reduces instances of reckless driving behavior. To help address safety and pedestrian accessibility concerns, later this month, community members will have the opportunity to share ideas for the future of the roadway at workshops in neighborhoods along the corridor.
NYC DOT will host a series of community workshops starting in June 2025 to hear from residents about what a redesigned Conduit corridor could look and feel like. New Yorkers can also share feedback on NYC DOT's feedback map of the corridor.
"Brooklyn and Queens Residents deserve a Conduit Boulevard that improves daily life, not a roadway that puts pedestrians and drivers at risk and physically divides entire neighborhoods," said NYC DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez. "Now is the time to let your voice be heard, at community workshops this month, we want to hear what New Yorkers think The Conduit should look like, and how it should serve our communities. It is time to let New Yorkers decide how the Conduit corridor can best serve the needs of the locals who use it most, while keeping them safe."
"Accessible, safe pathways for pedestrians are crucial for welcoming New Yorkers and visitors into our city's greenspaces, and we look forward to bringing together community members from Brooklyn and Queens for a conversation about optimizing public space on Conduit Avenue," said NYC Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue. "We invite everyone who uses the many parks in nearby areas to Conduit Avenue to share their voices during this transformative opportunity for the community."
“In every street safety discussion over the course of the Jewel Street Neighborhood Planning process, one issue consistently rose to the top: residents don’t feel safe crossing the street to get to work, school, or the subway,” said Acting New York City Housing Preservation and Development Commissioner Ahmed Tigani. “Pedestrian safety is essential to a livable neighborhood, and that’s why we’re deeply grateful to Commissioner Rodriguez and NYC DOT for the steps they've already taken—like installing traffic signals and creating new pedestrian paths—and we applaud their continued commitment to redesigning and improving Conduit Avenue. Smart housing growth isn’t just about buildings—it’s about building communities where people can walk safely and confidently every day.”
"From the Atlantic Avenue Mixed-Use Plan to the East New York Neighborhood Plan and beyond, improving streetscapes is key to City Planning's comprehensive planning work," said Department of City Planning Director Dan Garodnick. "We are proud to support this initiative to make Conduit Avenue a safer, more accessible corridor for pedestrians, drivers, and surrounding communities."
From 1934 to 1940, the city widened Conduit Avenue, severing neighborhoods in Brooklyn and Queens as part of a broader vision to reimagine the outer boroughs for car travel, steam rolling working class neighborhoods in the process. The roadways were initially built to function as arterials alongside a larger elevated highway that would have been constructed in between them--but was never built.
South Conduit Boulevard, at Grant Avenue, in Brooklyn. Credit: NYC DOT
The abandoned plans for an elevated highway left a large, unused median between the east and westbound Conduit that contributes to nearly 61 acres of open space along the corridor, roughly the size of 46 football fields.
Looking Forward
The community-driven study will explore a redesign along the Conduit corridor between Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn and Lefferts Boulevard in Queens, which is named Conduit Boulevard in Brooklyn and Conduit Avenue in Queens.
The Conduit is a critical connection for freight traveling between Atlantic Avenue and Long Island, but there are just 15 signalized pedestrian crossings along the entire three miles of roadway between Atlantic Avenue and Lefferts Boulevard. There are also 29 schools within 05. miles of Conduit.
The study will build on the agency’s prior safety efforts along the Conduit. NYC DOT has implemented several safety improvements along the corridor in recent years, including a reduced speed limit, new speed cameras, and several new pedestrian head-start signals at major crossings. In 2023, NYC DOT installed a new sidewalk and signalized crosswalks along North and South Conduit Avenue at 79th Street to safely connect pedestrians to a nearby shopping plaza.
Upcoming Workshops
NYC DOT will host two upcoming workshops for New Yorkers to share feedback directly, one in-person and one virtual session. The agency also encourages New Yorkers to share any thoughts online on the Conduit Corridor Project Feedback Map.
In-Person
Date: Tuesday, June 10, 2025
Time: 7:00pm - 8:30pm
Location: Robert H. Goddard JHS 202, 138-30 Lafayette St, Ozone Park, NY 11417
Register to attend
Virtual
Date: Thursday, June 12, 2025
Time: 7:00pm – 8:30pm
The workshop will be held as a Zoom meeting and will run from 7:00-8:30 PM.
Register to attend
"As an advocate for safer neighborhoods with better accessibility, I support the DOT's initiative to redesign Conduit Avenue. This project addresses many safety concerns including dangerous driving. It aims to create a welcoming environment for pedestrians, bicyclists and all residents," said Senator Joseph P. Addabbo Jr. "Our community deserves infrastructure that puts safety and connectivity first all while taking into account the thoughts and concerns of the residents. I will work with all stakeholders to ensure a safer and more equitable Conduit corridor that will benefit future generations."
"For years, the Conduit has been one of the most dangerous corridors in our city — falling significantly short of meeting the safety needs of drivers, cyclists and pedestrians alike. But thanks to the advocacy of many city and community partners, I'm proud to say that a study to redesign Conduit Avenue is finally getting underway," said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. "No matter how you use our roadways, you deserve to get to your destination safely. That's the ultimate goal of this Conduit Avenue study, and I encourage everyone from South Queens or East Brooklyn to make your voices heard as we center the surrounding community in reimagining this critical corridor."
"Communities along Conduit Avenue have lived with unsafe conditions and disconnected streets for far too long," said New York City Council Majority Whip Selvena N. Brooks-Powers. "As chair of the Council's Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and a representative of Southeast Queens, I will continue working with the Department of Transportation and advocating for investments to make our streets safer, more accessible, and more connected for the families who live and work in New York City."
"For too long, the city has ignored the need for safer crossings and better infrastructure along this corridor, so it's encouraging to finally see that changing," said Councilmember Joann Ariola. "These new improvements will go a long way towards ensuring the safety of everyone, and avoiding any more unnecessary tragedies in the future."