Brooklyn Bike Lane Dispute Escalates into Lawsuit as Mayor Adams Orders Removal of Protective Barriers

Strategic Insights -

A high-stakes battle has unfolded in Brooklyn over the safety of cyclists on Bedford Avenue, a contentious stretch of road where the city has proposed removing protective barriers for cyclists. The dispute started when Mayor Eric Adams announced the removal of the protected bike lane design, which had been in place since last year. The Transportation Alternatives group has filed a lawsuit to prevent the city from proceeding with the change, citing concerns over public safety and the absence of a thorough traffic or impact analysis.

Key Takeaways:

  • The lawsuit, filed by Transportation Alternatives, seeks to prevent the city from removing protective barriers for cyclists on Bedford Avenue, a highly contested stretch of road in Brooklyn.
  • The protected bike lane design was first installed in 2007 under then-Mayor Michael Bloomberg and was later rearranged to provide better protection for cyclists in 2023.
  • The Adams administration cited high crash rates along the stretch when announcing the redesigned lane, which rearranged parking to protect cyclists from traffic.
  • The Transportation Alternatives' Executive Director, Ben Furnas, described the decision as "unlawful, reckless, and we are suing," citing the city's own safety data.
  • The Administration argues that the previous design was not safe or effective and that safety has improved since the upgraded design was installed.
  • The lawsuit argues that the city failed to conduct any necessary traffic or impact analysis on the removal of the protected bike lane and ignored "legitimate concerns" of neighborhood residents who use the lane.

Statistics:

  • Since the protected bike lane design was installed in 2023, there have been no reports of serious accidents or fatalities on the stretch of road.
  • The Adams administration cited high crash rates along the stretch when announcing the redesigned lane, which were previously mitigated by the protected bike lane design.
  • A video of a recent crash reportedly shows a 3-year-old Orthodox Jewish girl walking into the path of an e-bike rider after exiting a double-parked car.

Sources:

  • [1] Gothamist: "Adams Orders Removal of Bike Lane Protection Along Stretch of Brooklyn's Bedford Avenue"
  • [2] Transportation Alternatives: (no specific source mentioned in the original text)