To quote a certain Yankee, it’s déja vu all over again—the plan to rip up the Bedford Avenue bike lane has been halted once again.
Well, for now.
The Adams administration was poised on Tuesday night to remove bike lane protections on a portion of Bedford Avenue that runs from Flushing to Willoughby avenues, but an appellate court judge instructed them to hold off, reversing a ruling last week that greenlit the project.
Judge Lourdes M. Ventura issued a temporary restraining order, siding with an appeal filed by street safety non-profit Transportation Alternatives and local parent Baruch Herzfeld.
Streetsblog first reported that the city is prevented from removing the protections “until the judge rules on the case.”
“The city has a week to oppose the ruling, after which the judge will decide whether or not to block demolition for the duration of the appeal,” said the outlet. After the July 23 deadline, the plaintiffs will have a chance to present their argument at a hearing.
If you’re confused, we can’t blame you, but here’s the condensed version of the events leading up to the decision:
The city’s Department of Transportation installed the protections on three-block stretch of Bedford Avenue last year, which they said led to a 47% decrease in injuries. Mayor Eric Adams announced plans to remove the protections, citing community feedback. Transportation Alternatives and Herzfeld filed a lawsuit in response, stating that Adams did not possess sole decision-making authority (major projects from the DOT require more advanced notice before any big changes are made). Judge Carolyn Walker-Diallo initially sided with those claims and issued a temporary restraining order against the city, preventing it from removing the protections. However, she later dismissed the suit, ruling that the plaintiffs did not sufficiently prove their claims that the decision was arbitrary and unsupported by evidence.
City workers were ready to get started on the project on Tuesday night, before Ventura’s decision blocked the project from moving forward.
We’ll see what next week brings forth. To keep this quotation theme going, it ain’t over ’til it’s over.
More bike lanes? Enough already! How about bringing back safe & secure WALKING LANES for pedestrians whose lives & limbs are put at risk by bike, e-bike and moped riders who disregard traffic regulations and make many of our streets & sidewalks a dangerous Wild West.
Clutch them pearls Ethel!