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PPW Bike Lane Opponents Aren't Fazed By Dismissal
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Aug 20, 2011
Modified Aug 20, 2011
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By
Christopher Robbins
Published Aug 20, 2011
Modified Aug 20, 2011
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After Judge Bunion dismissed the lawsuit against the Prospect Park West bike lane on Tuesday evening, we wondered if the fat lady had finally sung in the matter, so people could get on with their lives, and the DOT could go back to making the city safer for everyone. But it was not to be so: Jim Walden, the attorney for the two community groups who filed the suit, Neighbors for Better Bike Lanes and Seniors for Safety, issued a "demand" letter stating that the dismissal meant nothing, and the groups will be pressing on to obtain DOT records to prove that the bike lane was indeed part of a "pilot program."
"We're pleased the Court saw through the DOT's efforts to stonewall the community, as we have contented all along," Walden said in a statement, referring to Judge Bunion's criticism of the DOT's opaqueness in his decision. "We have little doubt that DOT, if it follows Sadik-Khan’s prior pattern, will continue its bob-and-weave strategy, rather than complying with the Court’s order." The Observer reports that the DOT hasn't received the letter yet, meaning that it was more of at media stunt than anything else.
Judge Bunion dismissed the group's lawsuit because they missed the deadline to file a petition against the bike lane, and now its opponents must exhaust all administrative remedies before filing another lawsuit, which presumably means bitching about the bike lane and the requested records for a suitable length of time.
Executive director of Transportation Alternatives Paul Steely White called Walden's letters a "desperate quest for headlines," and said, "The people of Park Slope have endured this reckless PR stunt long enough. It's time to move on." Though 68 percent of Prospect Park residents approve of the bike lane, and 66 percent of New Yorkers support the city's bike lanes, it goes without saying that wealthy, litigious people and a handful of cranks really know what's best for everyone.
Tagged
bike lanes
chuck schumer
dot
janette sadik-khan
nimby
prospect park
Prospect Park West bike lane
Christopher Robbins
Christopher Robbins is a New York City reporter covering transportation, affordable housing, local politics, and criminal justice. His work has also appeared in New York Magazine, The Village Voice and The New York Times. Chris is a graduate of Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, Virginia, and enjoys biking to Fort Tilden in the summertime.
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