After Adams administration abandonment, new mayor revives critical safety project for Greenpoint corridor
New Mayor Signals Commitment to Street Safety Over Political Convenience
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced Saturday that his administration would immediately move forward with completing the full redesign of McGuinness Boulevard in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, a project that had stalled under the previous administration amid corruption allegations. The announcement came on only the third full day of Mamdani’s tenure, signaling that transportation safety would rank among his immediate priorities as he assumes leadership of the nation’s largest city. The decision reverses the scaled-back approach implemented by Mayor Eric Adams, whose administration had allowed politically powerful interests to block the completion of a safety project originally designed by city engineers and promised to the community years earlier.
A Decade-Long Struggle for Basic Traffic Safety Reaches Critical Milestone
The campaign to redesign McGuinness Boulevard represents one of New York City’s longest-running battles over street safety and traffic calming. Community activists, local elected officials, and grieving families of traffic violence victims have fought for over a decade to transform the dangerous thoroughfare into a safer corridor for pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists. The movement gained critical momentum in 2021 following the tragic hit-and-run death of Matthew Jensen, a beloved teacher and community member who was struck by a driver on the boulevard. Jensen’s death galvanized local activists and led to a $40 million commitment from then-Mayor Bill de Blasio to redesign the street comprehensively.
Understanding the Complete Redesign Plan
The New York City Department of Transportation developed a comprehensive redesign plan that would narrow McGuinness Boulevard from its current four-lane configuration to two travel lanes, with the space reclaimed for protected bike lanes and improved pedestrian infrastructure. Under Mamdani’s announcement, the full redesign will extend from Meeker Avenue all the way to the Pulaski Bridge, ensuring consistent safety improvements across the entire corridor. The final configuration will feature one travel lane in each direction, one parking-protected bike lane in each direction, and one vehicular parking and loading lane in each direction. Currently, only the southern portion of the boulevard between Meeker and Calyer Street has received the protective infrastructure, leaving the northern section operating with the dangerous four-lane configuration that has claimed numerous lives over decades.
How Corruption Blocked Safety and How Change Brings Resolution
The Adams administration had scaled back the originally proposed redesign in what prosecutors characterized as an act rooted in corruption. In court documents unsealed in August 2025, federal authorities alleged that former Deputy Mayor Ingrid Lewis-Martin had blocked the road diet in exchange for benefits including an appearance on the television show “The Godfather of Harlem.” The Argento family, which owns Broadway Stages, a theatrical and film production facility, allegedly provided the benefit to Lewis-Martin in exchange for her influence in preventing the traffic-calming measures they claimed would harm their business.
Evidence-Based Transportation Policy Replaces Political Dealmaking
Mamdani directly addressed the history of political obstruction in his announcement, stating that his administration would prioritize the needs of New Yorkers over political considerations. “For too long, critical street safety projects have been delayed or shelved because of political considerations and backroom deal-making rather than the needs of New Yorkers. Those days are over,” the mayor declared at a Greenpoint press conference surrounded by community advocates and families who have lost loved ones to traffic violence. The mayor also invoked Robert Moses and the historical context of how McGuinness Boulevard was transformed from a residential street into a dangerous highway, using that history to frame his commitment to reversing patterns of infrastructure decisions made without regard to community safety.
Vision Zero Data Shows What’s Possible With Street Redesigns
Research demonstrates that the types of infrastructure improvements Mamdani is implementing produce measurable results in reducing traffic deaths and serious injuries. According to a 2022 Department of Transportation study analyzing street safety improvements implemented since the launch of Vision Zero in 2014, parking-protected bike lanes and traffic-calming measures significantly reduce serious injuries and fatalities for all road users, including pedestrians and motor vehicle occupants. The city’s most recent traffic safety data showed that road fatalities dropped to their lowest level since records began in 1910, representing a 31 percent decline since Vision Zero’s implementation. Deputy Mayor of Operations Julia Kerson noted that continued implementation of street redesigns, protected bike lanes, and protected bus lanes will accelerate these positive trends. Community leaders and safety advocates praised Mamdani’s immediate action. Council Member Lincoln Restler, who has championed the McGuinness redesign alongside Assembly Member Emily Gallagher, expressed satisfaction with the mayor’s commitment, stating: “Greenpoint, we fucking did it.” Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso noted the symbolism of prioritizing community safety in the mayor’s first acts of office, calling it a statement that his administration will not compromise on fundamental quality-of-life issues for any constituency. Readers seeking detailed information about Vision Zero and traffic safety research can visit the NYC Department of Transportation Vision Zero webpage, which provides comprehensive data on street safety interventions and their effectiveness. Those interested in learning more about protected bike lane infrastructure and design standards can explore the National Association of City Transportation Officials website, which documents best practices from cities nationwide. Community members wishing to understand the broader context of transportation advocacy can find resources at Transportation Alternatives, the advocacy organization that has championed safer streets in New York City for decades. For ongoing coverage of McGuinness Boulevard improvements and other street safety projects, Streetsblog New York City provides comprehensive reporting on transportation and street design issues.
