What you should know
- Pilot explores how nature-based infrastructure can help protect New Yorkers from extreme heat and flooding
- Green roof delivers on commitment made in Mayor and Governor’s Bus Action Plan
Green roof installed atop Brownsville bus shelter
NEW YORK – Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and Chief Climate Officer Louise Yeung today announced the installation of four innovative bus shelter roofs along Pitkin Avenue in Brownsville, testing new ways to make the busy commercial corridor cooler, more resilient and more comfortable for bus riders.
The project includes New York City’s first-ever green roof bus shelter, featuring native plants, grasses and wildflowers that add greenery, support native pollinators and help cool the bus stop. The green roof delivers on a commitment in Next Stop: Fast Buses, Better Service, Mayor Mamdani and Governor Hochul’s plan to deliver a world-class bus system for New Yorkers.
The pilot also includes three new heat-resilient roofs that use a low-cost, easily installed film to reflect sunlight and reduce temperatures around bus shelters.
“Climate change is already redefining what it means to live in New York City, and our response has to protect New Yorkers where they are, including at bus stops. We are turning everyday infrastructure into an opportunity to make our neighborhoods cooler, greener and more resilient,” said Mayor Mamdani. “This pilot in Brownsville will help us learn what works so we can bring those solutions to more New Yorkers, while making waiting for the bus safer and more comfortable.”
“New Yorkers deserve innovative climate solutions that meaningfully improve their day-to-day lives. The City is excited to kickstart an innovative bus shelter corridor pilot in Brownsville that will reduce heat, capture excess stormwater and make bus riders’ journeys safer and more comfortable,” said Chief Climate Officer Louise Yeung. “Realizing our vision of fast and free buses starts with improving the commuter experience, block by block. Over the next few weeks, we will work alongside community members and small businesses to understand what works and what can scale across the five boroughs to ensure no neighborhood is left behind.”
“We are excited to work with MOCEJ, Resilient Cities Catalyst and JCDecaux on these pilot installations to explore ways we can address rising temperatures and catch extra rainfall at bus shelters while making bus trips more comfortable for riders,” said NYC DOT Commissioner Mike Flynn. “As New York City sees hotter and wetter weather due to climate change, we must develop new ways of using green infrastructure to adapt.”
“As part of the Next Stop: Fast Buses, Better Service plan, we’re not only speeding buses up for riders, we’re also improving the entire bus experience,” said Elizabeth Adams, Senior Advisor for Fast and Free Buses for Mayor Mamdani. “That means adding more benches and shelter for shade and also addressing ways to cool down the bus stop and reduce extreme heat. Extreme heat kills hundreds of New Yorkers a year, and for too long our bus stops — where people can wait exposed for periods of time — have been overlooked in the climate crisis. Today’s announcement piloting NYC’s first-ever bus shelter green roof is an exciting step forward both for bus riders and a more resilient public space.”
In partnership with Resilient Cities Catalyst (RCC) and the Pitkin Avenue Business Improvement District (BID), the pilot tests practical solutions to improve the passenger experience while addressing extreme heat and heavy rainfall.
The initiative is part of a broader partnership through RCC’s Small Business Climate Resilience Program to strengthen Pitkin Avenue as a more vibrant and climate-resilient commercial corridor. The program brings together streetscape improvements, targeted small business support and preparedness and community-centered public space activations to help businesses and communities prepare for extreme heat and flooding. Brownsville is among New York City’s most heat-vulnerable neighborhoods.
Brownsville residents can learn more about the neighborhood improvements and share feedback by completing the community survey, available in English and Spanish. Responses will help inform next steps for these and other improvement projects in Brownsville.
“Too often, climate resilience projects can take years to move from an idea to something communities can actually see and experience,” said Corinne LeTourneau, Founding Principal at Resilient Cities Catalyst. “But today in Brownsville, New Yorkers can benefit from greater protection from extreme heat and flooding thanks to these bus shelters, which also create a greener and more vibrant neighborhood. RCC is proud of our efforts to deliver projects like these through our Neighborhood Small Business Climate Resilience Program, through which we have worked closely with community and City partners to accelerate community-led solutions that reflect the neighborhood’s priorities. We are eager to see how the lessons from this pilot can help inform what might be possible in neighborhoods across New York City and beyond.”
“It has truly been an honor to collaborate with RCC and MOCEJ on this exciting initiative. This pilot allows us to center the needs of residents while prioritizing climate resilience in historically under-resourced neighborhoods like Brownsville,” said Ineisha Williford, Executive Director of the Pitkin Avenue Business Improvement District. “Many of our older adults have shared concerns about extreme heat, limited shade and heavy rainfall, all of which can make it more difficult to safely access and enjoy the corridor. We are proud to be part of an initiative that brings us one step closer to creating permanent, climate-resilient solutions that make Pitkin Avenue safer, more accessible and more welcoming for everyone.”
“JCDecaux is excited to work with New York stakeholders as part of its global program to improve cities’ resilience,” said Alan Sullivan, Co-Chief Executive Officer, JCDecaux Street Furniture New York, LLC. “The return of nature to a neighborhood offers a multitude of benefits while also creating heat resilience. The Pitkin Avenue project is a great opportunity to showcase how greening existing bus shelters can bring ecological experiences to the streetscape and reduce the impact of the sun overhead by adding reflective elements to the bus shelter. Using existing infrastructure to address urban heat islands is an efficient and productive way to improve the transit experience for New York’s communities.”
###