A group of residents is charging the city with violating accessibility requirements by blocking vehicular traffic on some blocks.
Lawyers representing New York City are asking a federal court to throw out a lawsuit that challenges the city’s Open Streets program, citing concerns about accessibility.
As Kevin Duggan notes in Streetsblog NYC, “Attorneys with the city said the program only covers a minuscule share of the city's streetscape, and that officials do not have to provide front-door access on every single street around the clock.” The city notes that it only approved vehicle restrictions on 25 miles of streets — or 0.4 percent — last year.
The lawyers said the open streets program makes roads safer, while most city streets remain open to vehicles. “Advocates and legal experts at the time slammed the case for ignoring the endless ways in which cars have long blocked access all over the city and how drivers have long endangered seniors and the disabled.”
The article adds that “DOT’s recently finalized open streets rules allow anyone to move barriers temporarily to gain access, and the agency may provide assistance on request to people who are eligible for Access-A-Ride, or hold a valid parking permit for people with disabilities.”
FULL STORY: City Urges Judge to Toss Anti-Open Streets Lawsuit
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Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.
Adaptive Reuse Will Create Housing in a Suburban Texas Strip Mall
A developer is reimagining a strip mall property as a mixed-use complex with housing and retail.
Study: Anti-Homelessness Laws Don’t Work
Research shows that punitive measures that criminalized unhoused people don’t help reduce homelessness.
In U.S., Urban Gondolas Face Uphill Battle
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