McGuinness Boulevard Redesign Is Complete

On November 13, Mayor Zohran Mamdani and city officials celebrated the completion of a long-delayed redesign of McGuinness Boulevard in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. The project covers about a mile, from Meeker Avenue to the Pulaski Bridge, and includes protected bike lanes, shorter pedestrian crossings and changes intended to slow turning vehicles.

The redesign follows years of debate and interruptions. Former Mayor Bill de Blasio’s administration began the effort after public school teacher Matthew Jensen was killed by a speeding driver on the boulevard in 2021. Under former Mayor Eric Adams, work on the northern section was paused in 2023, while a reduced version went ahead south of Calyer Street.

Mamdani pledged early in his term to complete the original plan. Construction on the northern section began in late May, and the finished route now has parking-protected bike lanes throughout. Installing them removed one vehicle lane in each direction. The city’s transportation commissioner said the agency has completed its current work but is considering longer-term upgrades, including concrete features and landscaping.

The dispute also became part of a criminal case. Former Adams adviser Ingrid Lewis-Martin and Broadway Stages owners Gina and Tony Argento were charged in an alleged scheme involving efforts to stop the redesign. Prosecutors alleged Lewis-Martin received money, catering and a television role in exchange for intervening; the report did not describe the charges as resolved.

At the ceremony, Jensen’s cousin John Ogren thanked those who had pressed for safer streets. Assembly Member Emily Gallagher said she now sees people of different ages using the boulevard to walk and ride bikes. Bronwyn Breitner, a co-founder of Make McGuinness Safe, said Mamdani and the community campaign helped bring the project to completion.