A Queens judged has ordered the Division of Transportation to halt a deliberate protected bike lane on Astoria’s thirty first Road in a shock ruling that defies authorized precedent within the metropolis.
Choose Chereé Buggs sided with a lot of native companies and residents who had filed go well with in opposition to town, arguing that plans for protected bike lane had been rushed and introduced a hazard for pedestrians and motorists alongside thirty first Road.
On Friday, Buggs ordered the DOT to halt plans for the road redesign, which coated a mile-long stretch of thirty first Road from thirty sixth Avenue to Newtown Avenue. Buggs has additionally ordered the company to revive the roadway to its unique designed after a bit of the protected bike lane was put in on one facet of thirty first Road between thirty first Avenue and Broadway over the summer time.
Renderings for proposed bike lanes alongside thirty first Road in comparison with present structure of the hall.Courtesy of the DOT
A coalition of native companies and residents sued town shortly after that work started in August, accusing the DOT of violating correct procedures by failing to correctly have interaction with the area people about their considerations.
Buggs sided with the plaintiffs, ruling that the DOT had did not adjust to necessary session and certification necessities with companies such because the Division of Small Enterprise Providers (SBS) and the Mayor’s Workplace for Individuals with Disabilities.
Buggs additionally cited considerations raised by the FDNY after the Hearth Division knowledgeable the DOT in July that the road redesign wouldn’t allow it to function at “full capacity.” The Hearth Division additional warned that the implementation of the redesign would “negatively impact FDNY emergency response and fireground operations, delaying Fire Department personnel and their resources for fire suppression.”
The DOT had insisted that emergency automobiles would have the ability to make use of an eight-foot bike lane and a three-foot buffer to succeed in the curb and reply to emergencies. Buggs stated the DOT had supplied no “concrete rebuttal” to the FDNY’s considerations.
Buggs additionally dominated that the DOT’s response to considerations raised by St. Demetrios College, a Greek-American faculty situated at 30-03 thirtieth Dr., was “insufficient.”
College representatives had said that the proposed bike lanes would run immediately by way of drop-off and pick-up zones utilized by mother and father and college students, including that the bike lanes would create “unacceptable risks.”
The DOT had argued that it engaged with the college on a number of events to handle these considerations, however Buggs dominated that the company had failed to point out that it had “practically resolved” the core concern.
The DOT now has 30 days to adjust to a court docket order to take away the part of the bike lane that it has already put in, in response to the ruling.
Buggs’ ruling is unprecedented, with comparable authorized challenges typically dismissed up to now as judges sided with the DOT.
The company had known as for protected bike lanes on each side of thirty first Road in a bid to enhance avenue security alongside the hall, pointing to 2 fatalities and 11 severe accidents that came about between 2020 and 2024.
The mile-long stretch of thirty first Road is among the many most harmful roads in Queens, in response to DOT information, with a complete of 178 accidents recorded on the hall over the five-year interval. DOT information cites “multiple instances” of cyclists getting “doored” – referring to when a bicycle owner collides with a automotive door that has been opened– whereas over 30% of pedestrian accidents have been attributable to left-turn crashes.
Nevertheless, a lot of native companies had launched a petition in opposition to the bike lanes, arguing that the infrastructure would scale back entry to their enterprise in addition to creating unsafe situations for kids accessing St. Demetrios College.
The thirty first Road Enterprise Affiliation, which joined the lawsuit in opposition to the bike lanes, stated in an announcement that it was happy with the Dec. 5 ruling, describing the thirty first Road protected bike lane as a “dangerous plan that would have made our streets and community less safe.”
The group had persistently known as on the DOT to put in a motorcycle lane on a residential hall operating parallel to thirty first Road resembling thirty third Road, the place there are fewer storefronts and fewer site visitors.
The group stated it stays dedicated to collaborating with the DOT to seek out an applicable location for the protected bike lane following Friday’s ruling. Additionally they accused the company of refusing earlier options.
“We are eager to participate in a genuinely collaborative process with DOT to improve street safety for everyone: including pedestrians, older adults, young children, people living with disabilities, public transit users, cyclists and motorists,” the thirty first Road Enterprise Affiliation stated in an announcement.
“We have made numerous suggestions to DOT, all of which have been ignored in favor of a one-size-fits-all panacea of bike lanes. It is our hope that this ruling will make real partnerships between DOT and our city’s communities—all of whom deserve safe streets—possible.”
Plans for the thirty first Road protected bike lanes fashioned a part of the Western Queens Road Security Plan proposed in 2023 by a lot of elected officers, together with State Sen. Kristen Gonzalez, Meeting Member Jessica González-Rojas, Council Member Tiffany Cabán and Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani.
Elected officers had described the Western Queens Road Security Plan as a “multi-year planning process” that aimed to make Western Queens safer for all residents. A number of elected officers expressed disappointment following Friday’s ruling.
González-Rojas stated in an announcement that the ruling was “profoundly disappointing” and “deeply dangerous” for native residents.
Cabán, in the meantime, stated the ruling “puts lives at risk” by eradicating plans for “proven safety measures.”
“Almost 200 people have been injured on 31st Street in five years. Slashing proven safety measures in the face of this danger is unacceptable,” Cabán stated.
“This project would save lives. It would make our neighborhood safer for every person who walks, bikes, takes the bus, or drives. Astoria has waited too long for basic protections. My office will continue to fight for street safety on 31st St and every street.”
