Judge Eileen Rakower decided New York can move forward with bus improvements that will create a temporary bus lane on 14th street.
A court decision earlier this week cleared the way for construction on an 18-month pilot project that "all but bans cars" on 14th street, in a "major traffic experiment," according to a New York Times article by Winnie Hu published today.
The project will create a busway closed to private cars. Only emergency vehicles, buses, and trucks will be allowed on 14th Street between 3rd and 9th avenues on 14th Street.
"Drivers will be allowed onto the street for just a block or two to make deliveries and pick up and drop off passengers. Then they will have to turn off," according to Wu."
According to Wu, the pilot project reflects a larger trend of cities rethinking the role of cars in the private realm:
The sweeping restrictions come as New York and other cities fundamentally rethink the role of cars in the face of unrelenting traffic that is choking their streets, poisoning the environment and crippling public transit systems by trapping buses and light rail systems in gridlock.
The 14th Street bus project, originally scheduled to start construction in July, cleared a final judicial hurdle earlier this week, reports Ryan Deffenbaugh in a separate article published after the decision. "The state Supreme Court in Manhattan ruled that the city’s Department of Transportation complied with state’s requirement to take a 'hard look' at the impact of its plan to limit cars on the street."
FULL STORY: Major Traffic Experiment in N.Y.C.: Cars All but Banned on Major Street
Backtracking From Ambitious Bus Lane Promises in New York City
Back in June, the city of New York seemed poised for a major shift in transportation priority. In October, reality is setting in about how hard a sell the transformation will be.
Bus Priority Falling to Local Political Opposition in New York City
An ambitious program to add 20 miles of bus lanes and protected bus ways in the city of New York has been diminished by political opposition in parts of the city.
New York's Bus Lane Program Slow to Start
It's a case of arrested development, as local opposition has derailed ambitious plans to greatly expand bus priority on streets around the city of New York.
Rethinking Redlining
For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Walmart Announces Nationwide EV Charging Network
The company plans to install electric car chargers at most of its stores by 2030.
New State Study Suggests Homelessness Far Undercounted in New Mexico
An analysis of hospital visit records provided a more accurate count than the annual point-in-time count used by most agencies.
Michigan Bills Would Stiffen Penalties for Deadly Crashes
Proposed state legislation would close a ‘legal gap’ that lets drivers who kill get away with few repercussions.
Report: Bus Ridership Back to 86 Percent of Pre-Covid Levels
Transit ridership around the country was up by 85 percent in all modes in 2024.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Moorpark
City of Tustin
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions