The World Cup is in New Jersey, so the city fixed the Brooklyn Bridge bike lane

Despite its name, the New York New Jersey World Cup games are not in New York – but that hasn’t stopped city and state officials from making it all about New York anyway. 

Fan zones, block parties and soccer streets have taken over New York City as the world’s biggest sporting event – which is technically being hosted across the river in Jersey – draws in tourists eager to explore the city. New York City Department of Transportation Commissioner Mike Flynn addressed City & State’s Rebuilding New York Summit on Wednesday to talk about how the department is greeting the historic moment with transportation improvements for locals and tourists alike.

“For several months now, we've lined up and have now largely continued projects that reimagine some of our busiest streets,” Flynn said in his keynote remarks. “Not only helping to accommodate the current influx of visitors – most of them are moving around our city via mass transit – but more importantly, delivering permanent benefits for New Yorkers long after the tournament's over.”

The department is temporarily converting several Midtown streets into busways on match days – a teaser for the long-delayed 34th Street busway that was advanced earlier this month. And some of the permanent changes Flynn cited include a Hell’s Kitchen sidewalk expansion, wider bike lanes on 6th Avenue, a new bus lane in Jackson Heights connecting to LaGuardia Airport and a redesigned pedestrian and bike entrance to the Brooklyn Bridge. 

What does any of that have to do with the World Cup, though? 

“We’re expecting a lot of the folks in town for the World Cup are going to go to tourist destinations,” Flynn told City & State. “So we figured with the extra influx of tourists, it’s basically the perfect time.”

Flynn also emphasized that this administration’s DOT is “putting policy and planning ahead of politics” and organizing their strategy around “organizational excellence” – subtle digs at the department under former Mayor Eric Adams, who was criticized by safe streets advocates for weakening planned safety improvements in response to local pressure. 

Beyond the World Cup-justified updates, Flynn said DOT is planning to release updated action plans for speeding up city buses, redesigning city streets and for the Vision Zero, which aims to eliminate pedestrian deaths . He also mentioned the widespread community engagement that NBA Finals watch parties and fan events brought to the city, and even shared his own poem to commemorate the Knicks’ historic win.

“My Knicks are humble / Spurs offense crumbled / Our streets came alive / Knicks in five.”