The case for center bus lanes on Flatbush

By Annie Weinstock and Walter Hook

For as long as we can remember, Flatbush Avenue through Downtown Brooklyn has been awful: a six-lane traffic sewer where full buses are stuck behind queues of cars, Ubers, and trucks, and walking conditions are unpleasant and extremely unsafe. That’s why it was exciting when, in June, NYCDOT announced plans to speed up buses on Flatbush Avenue from Grand Army Plaza to Downtown Brooklyn.

As part of this announcement, NYCDOT put out three alternatives for the placement of the bus lanes on Flatbush:

1. Curbside bus lanes: Bus lanes flush with the curb on either side of the road

2. Offset bus lanes: Bus lanes set one lane in from the curb to allow for parking, turns, etc.

3. Central median bus lanes: Bus lanes which operate both directions in the central median of the road.

It is really exciting to see the central median option out there. It is bold and could be transformative for Flatbush. As discussed in a previous piece, central median bus lanes, in general, are less likely to be obstructed by delivery vehicles, drop-offs, and right turning vehicles than curbside or offset bus lanes. On this section of Flatbush, most left turns are already forbidden so turns will conflict with the bus lane much less often.

The decision of where to locate the bus lanes should be based, of course, on which alternative will have the greatest positive impact on bus speeds. Buses are not the only important users of Flatbush however. It remains an important truck route, so adverse impacts to general traffic need to be minimized.

Below, we take a deep dive into the alternatives with a specific eye to the bus. It is important to point out that any one alignment, taken on its own, is unlikely to solve the myriad problems faced by buses on Flatbush. Thus, in this piece, we look beyond the standard alignment options to figure out how to really make buses…and everyone else move on Flatbush.

Solving the causes of delay

To answer the question on which alternative will have the greatest impact on bus speeds, we first look at what is causing slow speeds on this part of Flatbush.

According to a map shown by NYCDOT, speeds are slow throughout this northern part of Flatbush. However, the biggest delay for buses is between Atlantic Avenue and Livingston Street where speeds drop to about 4 mph.

We conducted observations in this segment over several days. Here’s what we found.

Cause of Delay #1: Buses must merge across traffic to reach Livingston St

All bus routes traveling north on Flatbush are turning left onto Livingston St.

To do this, all of the buses currently have to merge across traffic from the curb lane where they stop near Atlantic Terminal, to the center lane to make their turn. This merge slows down all traffic and especially buses which have to wait to be let in by drivers.

Solution #1: Central Median Bus Lanes

The central median bus lane alternative would solve this problem. With the bus lane in the central median, northbound buses do not have to merge to make the left turn. They simply stop in the center at Atlantic Terminal and remain in the center until their left turn.

Southbound buses can join the central median bus lane with the traffic signal at Livingston.

Cause of Delay #2: Southbound left turns onto Lafayette spill into general traffic

The Flatbush southbound left turn bay is only 65 feet long. If more than four cars or more than two buses are in the bay, they spill back into the through lane, blocking traffic and southbound buses.

Solution #2: Eliminate the southbound left onto Lafayette Street

Eliminating this turn would help southbound buses and mixed traffic to flow better because vehicle queuing in the left turn lane would not block the southbound through traffic lane.

It would also give northbound Flatbush traffic a longer green signal at the the Flatbush/Lafayette intersection, increasing throughput and reducing northbound congestion for mixed traffic & buses.

The intersection of Flatbush and Lafayette is also particularly dangerous. There have been 32 injuries since 2020. Sight lines for left turning vehicles are poor due to congestion on Flatbush. Thus, eliminating this left turn would have safety benefits as well. Lafayette-bound traffic can turn left onto Fulton Street, before the busway and join Lafayette Street three blocks to the east.

Cause of Delay #3: Northbound left turn turns spill into general traffic

The northbound left turn bay onto Livingston Street is only 95’, which can hold six cars or up to two buses. If the volumes in the bay increase beyond that, the queue spills back into the through lane, blocking northbound traffic, including other buses attempting to turn onto Livingston Street.

Solution #3: Extend the northbound left turn lane & dedicate it to buses only

If the southbound left turn is eliminated as proposed in Solution 2, the northbound left turn lane can be extended. The turn should be reserved for buses only, in order to ensure that the bus-only lane remains sacrosanct. All the buses currently turn left here so the northbound busway becomes the turning lane.

If a northbound mixed traffic left turn is still desired onto Livingston, it should be designated in the adjacent northbound lane.

Cause of Delay #4: Frequent box blocking impedes buses from turning

The block between Livingston Street and Schermerhorn/Lafayette is extremely short — only 190’. If more than 11 southbound cars and trucks queue at the stop line, they block northbound left turning buses entering Livingston.

Additionally, left turning trucks coming off Third Avenue/Schermerhorn onto Flatbush northbound block all or part of Flatbush southbound traffic, which backs up north of Livingston, blocking northbound buses turning left onto Livingston.

There is no other way for trucks to get from Third, Fourth, or Atlantic Avenues onto Flatbush northbound as Fourth Avenue does not permit a left turn onto Flatbush.

Solution #4: Enforce “Don’t Block the Box” Law at this intersection

The New York City Department of Traffic Rules require that no intersection is to be blocked by traffic.

“4–07(b)(2) Spillback. No operator shall enter an intersection and its crosswalks unless there is sufficient unobstructed space beyond the intersection and its crosswalks in the lane in which he/she is traveling to accommodate the vehicle, notwithstanding any traffic control signal indication to proceed.”

While this law should be enforced citywide, there are some intersections, like Flatbush and Livingston and Flatbush and Schermerhorn, where enforcement of this law is paramount to the unimpeded movement of buses as well as to pedestrian safety. If the city plans to invest in bus lanes on Flatbush, it is recommended that additional efforts be made to deter box blocking.

In 2018, there was an NY State budget proposal for cameras for the enforcement of intersection blocking. Efforts should be revived in Albany to bring these cameras to fruition. Additional signage and striping could be useful as well.

The obvious winner is…

The central median bus lane is the clear winner.

Whether or not buses have a dedicated bus lane, they consume a full lane of traffic on Flatbush, because cars don’t want to get stuck behind them when they stop at a bus stop. By moving the buses to the center of the roadway, NYCDOT is simultaneously able to increase bus speeds, while resolving many of the conflicts that are causing general traffic delay. If done right, the redesign could be a win-win for both buses and general traffic.