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Read the press release here.

New Bike Lanes Proposed for Gowanus and Boerum Hill

By Leslie Albrecht | February 17, 2014 3:10pm
 The Department of Transportation is proposing adding a shared bike lane similar to this one on Bond Street in Gowanus and Boerum Hill.
The Department of Transportation is proposing adding a shared bike lane similar to this one on Bond Street in Gowanus and Boerum Hill.
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DNAinfo/Leslie Albrecht

BROOKLYN — Bond Street could soon be a little more bike-friendly.

The city's Department of Transportation wants to create a bike lane on Bond Street between Third and Schermerhorn streets, an 18-block stretch that runs from Gowanus to Boerum Hill.

A DOT spokesman declined to comment on the proposal, but said the agency is scheduled to unveil details at the Feb. 20 meeting of the Community Board 6 transportation committee.

Resident Warren Cohen said he supports adding a bike lane because the Gowanus section of Bond Street is attracting more drivers, pedestrians and cyclists, especially since the opening of the Whole Foods at Third Street and Third Avenue.

"That street could become a very busy street," Cohen said. "Bike lanes are great in general because they’re an alternative mode of transport that’s very vital for lot of folks. It seems that when bike lanes are added, it calms traffic overall."

Between Third and Douglass streets, the lane would be a Class III "shared lane" — the kind that's used by both cyclists and cars and can be marked either with street signs or with symbols painted in the roadway, according to the Community Board 6 agenda.

From Douglass to Wyckoff, the DOT is proposing a Class II lane, the type that's for bikes only and is usually separated from car traffic by a solid stripe painted on the street. The blocks between Wyckoff and Schermerhorn would have a Class III shared lane.

In Gowanus, Bond Street runs parallel to the Gowanus Canal and is lined by a mix of industrial and residential buildings. The quiet area is poised to get an influx of new residents in the coming years; a 700-unit rental complex is planned along Bond Street between Carroll and First streets.

The Community Board 6 transportation committee meets on Feb. 20 at 6:30 p.m. at P.S. 32, 317 Hoyt St. Click here for the agenda.