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Brooklyn’s bustling streets are set for a major transformation as the bike lane redesign project makes a return.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani has announced the revival of a previously shelved initiative to revamp a bike lane on McGuinness Boulevard in Greenpoint. This project, which had been discarded under former Mayor Eric Adams, is now back on track amidst past allegations of corruption.
The new plan will see protected bike lanes spanning the entire length of McGuinness Boulevard, stretching from Meeker Avenue to the Pulaski Bridge. Mamdani shared this development over the weekend, signaling a renewed commitment to enhancing urban mobility in the area.
The original cancellation was mired in controversy, with accusations that Adams’ close aide, Ingrid Lewis-Martin, had been influenced by local power players through bribes. These included a role in the Hulu series “Godfather of Harlem” alongside Forest Whitaker, raising eyebrows and questions about the integrity of the decision.
In a pointed critique of the past administration, Mamdani accused it of succumbing to “big-money interests,” underscoring his administration’s focus on transparency and community-oriented urban planning.
“Today, however, there is a new mayor in City Hall,” he said at a Saturday rally along McGuinness Boulevard.
The roadway has seen more than 200 deaths since 1956, stoking concerns among locals that boiled over into the Make McGuinness Safe advocacy campaign called to redesign it.
The deaths included York College student Doniqueca Cooke — whose mother attended the Mamdani event — in a 2016 crash and elementary school teacher Matthew Jensen in 2021.
Both were killed by hit-and-run drivers.
With the backing of local elected officials such as state Assemblywoman Emily Gallagher (D-Brooklyn), city planners crafted a plan to add protected bike lanes and other traffic-slowing measures.
But some powerful locals — notably Gina and Tony Argento, siblings who own the Broadway Stages studio — opposed the plan.
The Argentos allegedly paid off Lewis-Martin with $2,500, along with a speaking role on the “Godfather of Harlem” show, to get the mayor’s office to redraw the plans, Manhattan prosecutors said.
“We do not care what they say,” Lewis-Martin allegedly texted Gina Argento about the Make McGuinness Safe group. “We are ignoring them and continuing with our plan. They can kiss my ass.”
Mamdani’s newly installed transportation commissioner Mike Flynn said the project will now begin in April or May.
“It’s really dependent on our partner Mother Nature,” he said.
Lewis-Martin, who has pleaded not guilty to all charges across five separate indictments, was unrepentant about scotching the redesign.
“I did my job and I did nothing illegal and I listened to the concerns in the community,” she told The Post on Monday.
The longtime political power player also brushed off Mamdani’s implicit diss.
“He doesn’t know because if he knew me, he would know I would never do anything wrong, so I’ll give him a pass.”