Brooklyn groups rally against Mamdani-backed ballot measure and demand halt to bike, bus lanes

Brooklyn community groups are urging voters to reject Proposal 3, a Mayor Zohran Mamdani-backed charter change on the Nov. 3 ballot that would make it harder to stop street redesigns.

The coalition of 11 groups, led by Brooklyn for All of Us and Our Communities Count, will rally Saturday at 10 a.m. outside Barclays Center.

“We are not against safer streets. We are against decisions being made about our communities without meaningful participation from the people who live and work here,” organizers said in a press release.

The DOT is backing the new ballot proposal because it will give them more leeway to push ahead with street projects.

Proposal 3 would prevent technical errors from being grounds to stop construction and allow DOT to begin certain projects before presenting them to local officials and community boards.

But organizers argue the agency’s plans ignore the needs of families, small businesses, seniors and people with disabilities.

The groups want the DOT to reverse previous decisions which they say have been made without meaningful community input. They are also calling for a halt to proposed bike boulevards on Bergen and Dean streets and Lafayette and DeKalb avenues — plus a stop to Mamdani’s new “Fast Bus Lanes” across Brooklyn, a joint DOT-MTA plan that in part eliminates bus stops.

The administration has claimed the charter changes will help with street safety.

A spokesperson for DOT said the agency is trying to deliver “high-quality, affordable transportation.”

“We look forward to listening to and working with the community to ensure these investments reflect the needs of the people who call these neighborhoods home,” a spokesperson for DOT said.

The coalition’s main message was that they want to be heard.

“Our streets belong to everyone—pedestrians, cyclists, bus riders, motorists, seniors, families, and local merchants. Every voice deserves to be heard before permanent changes are made,” organizers said.