Almost Ready Records is a musical haven across the street from one of the city’s busiest thoroughfares.

It's located on West Ninth Street on the border of Carroll Gardens and Red Hook. Longtime record store clerk Chris Adams said the neighborhood divide feels exceptionally wide due to the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway.

"It almost feels like you have to cross a river because you're waiting five to 10 minutes just to cross traffic," Adams said.

On Wednesday, the city’s Department of Transportation announced plans to ease the burden on pedestrians and cyclists who find the crosswalks and bike lanes dangerous to traverse. West Ninth Street can expect to see new and shorter pedestrian crossings, a two-way protected bike lane, and a restriction on vehicle turns from Hamilton Avenue.

"I understand people are in a hurry on the highway, but people also need to be able to cross the street," Adams said.

But not everyone is happy with the proposals. Some drivers fear bike lanes and detours could make the city harder to navigate.

"It already has an impact," for-hire vehicle driver Manny Hussain said. "So, whenever they create a new bike lane or bus line, kind of like when they created one on the Brooklyn Bridge, it forces me to use the Battery Tunnel all the time I'm trying to go into Manhattan, so it really slows down everything."

This is part of the city’s vision to reimagine the northern and southern corridors of the BQE in Brooklyn.

The DOT unveiled four concept types Wednesday. In addition to the intersection redesigns in Red Hook, there will be hubs for delivery workers to charge e-bikes in Fort Greene, as well as pop-up markets in Sunset Park and capping of the BQE trench in Williamsburg.

"This administration has taken the approach that while we're pursuing a long-term fix for the BQE central section, we must at the same time move forward plans in other communities that have long been divided by this highway in Brooklyn," DOT Chief Strategy Officer Julie Bero said.

The DOT said it conducted 18 months of community outreach, during which more than 3,000 people made their voices heard. The DOT said the top priority from those voices was improving street safety for all.

Adams said the opposition to what he sees as an improvement sounds like a broken record.

"The safety of crossing a street is important. They should listen. It's not just a city for cars,” Adams said.

A DOT spokesperson said short-term projects can be implemented as early as this year and in 2025. Longer-term projects may need more funding and coordination with state and federal partners.