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Officials just unveiled an entirely redesigned Berry Street in Williamsburg—now a permanent two-way bike boulevard that is sure to delight all New York cyclists.
Formerly a one-way street, the selected stretch of Brooklyn was identified as a potential area for conversion through the Department of Transportation's (DOT) new technology system, aimed at improving street safety and urban design.
Folks will notice two-way bike markings on the pavement. One-way vehicle traffic is still allowed but car flow on selected blocks in the southbound direction has been reversed in an effort to discourage drivers from using Berry Street unless absolutely necessary, in the hopes of reducing the number of cars on the road overall.
According to a press release, "drivers who do use Berry should travel five miles per hour" while emergency and city-related vehicles will still be granted access to the corridor despite design changes.
“The redesign of Berry Street into a new bike boulevard will improve pedestrian and cyclist safety, better connecting to local parks and the Williamsburg Bridge, while allowing local vehicle traffic and loading zones,” said Congresswoman Nydia M. Velázquez in a statement.
As touched upon by the official, the DOT has also installed a number of loading zones at the start and end of every block on the street “to help reduce large truck traffic on the corridor.” Basically, the vans will be allowed to use the areas for deliveries, loading and unloading efforts.
As for pedestrians, they are encouraged to continue making use of the area's Open Street hours, still in effect from 8am to 8pm daily.
Berry Street has officially become one of the coolest redesigned streets in NYC.