Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Judge blocks Mayor Adams from removing Bedford Avenue bike lane — again
By
Phil Corso
Published Jul 15, 2025
Modified Jul 15, 2025
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Phil Corso
Published Jul 15, 2025
Modified Jul 15, 2025
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
A state appellate judge on Tuesday blocked the Adams administration from tearing out a protected bike lane on Bedford Avenue, just hours before crews were set to begin construction.
The emergency order marks the second time courts have paused the city’s controversial plan to remove safety infrastructure from a key stretch of Bedford Avenue, between Willoughby and Flushing avenues. The lane had been installed by the city Department of Transportation last year in response to high crash rates and pedestrian deaths.
On July 9, a Brooklyn judge allowed the city to proceed with Mayor Eric Adams’ order to remove the protected lane, ruling it didn’t qualify as a major transportation project. But Tuesday afternoon, after Transportation Alternatives and a Brooklyn family filed an appeal, an appellate court issued a temporary restraining order, barring any construction while the legal challenge proceeds.
The Department of Transportation has previously acknowledged the legal risk of removing the lane, writing in court filings that “The City risks legal liability for knowingly reducing safety on a Vision Zero priority corridor."
Transportation Alternatives Executive Director Ben Furnas celebrated Tuesday’s ruling.
“The bulldozers might be ready to destroy the Bedford Avenue safety improvements, but the Adams administration is going to have to spend their night preparing their legal case,” he said in a statement. “The fight to save the Bedford Avenue safety improvements continues.”
More than 300 cyclists have signed a pledge to sue the city if they’re injured on the corridor, a Transportation Alternatives spokesperson said.
A City Hall spokesperson said the Adams administration decided to revert the Bedford Avenue bike lane to its previous design after hearing concerns from residents about safety, particularly incidents involving children. They noted that a state judge had already affirmed the city’s legal authority to make the change, and called the latest appeal unnecessary, arguing it delays relief for concerned Williamsburg families.
The spokesperson added that the city looks forward to defending its position in court.
This story has been updated with comment from City Hall.
Tagged
brooklyn
transportation
Phil Corso
Phil Corso is the evening news editor at WNYC/Gothamist. Got a tip? Email [email protected].
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Why New Yorkers should care about bats beyond spooky season
As Bat Week begins, state wildlife officials urge New Yorkers to protect bats, which play an important role in the environment.
By
Catalina Gonella
Published Oct 25, 2026 at 6:44 p.m. ET
Serbians forced to wait hours to vote at NYC consulate as Balkan nation holds election
Early voting may have kicked off in New York this weekend, but Serbian immigrants seeking to vote had a much tighter window on Sunday.
By
Jill Webb
and
Michael Sol Warren
News
Serbians forced to wait hours to vote at NYC consulate as Balkan nation holds election
Early voting may have kicked off in New York this weekend, but Serbian immigrants seeking to vote had a much tighter window on Sunday.
By
Jill Webb
and
Michael Sol Warren
Retired NYPD detective charged in George Washington Bridge killing out on $1M bail
By
Michael Sol Warren
Suicides decline in NYC, but inequities persist across groups
By
Jill Webb
Cuts to rural healthcare become key issue for upstate votes in race for NY governor
By
Samuel King
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .