Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Judge Clears Way For Flushing Bus Lane Opposed By Local Businesses
By
Stephen Nessen
Published Jan 5, 2021
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
Stephen Nessen
Published Jan 5, 2021
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 temporary restraining order blocking the installation of a new bus-only lane in Flushing, Queens has been lifted, allowing the Department of Transportation to move forward with the stalled project in a busy section of the neighborhood transit hub.
The 0.3 mile stretch would be for buses only, similar to the 14th Street busway which has successfully sped up bus times by between 22% and 47%, and was also the subject of several lawsuits, all eventually dropped.
The petitioners, a group of Chinese businesses in Flushing including a couple restaurants, the New World Mall food court, and an OB/GYN, attempted to block the busway, claiming that their customers would have difficulty finding parking at the New World Mall parking garage due to the new traffic pattern created by the busway. They also argued that the plan is irrational and arbitrary.
Judge Kevin Kerrigan wrote that the petitioners' concern about side streets being flooded with traffic was “speculative” and not based on any data. Kerrigan noted that the purpose of the busway was to eliminate overall traffic while allowing commercial traffic to continue.
“This plan is clearly not arbitrary, and the data and studies upon which it is based rationally relate to the plan,” Kerrigan said, adding that the opponents failed to provide enough evidence to support a preliminary injunction, and that the head of the DOT was free to prioritize mass transit over private vehicle traffic.
The court “won’t second-guess that decision,” he wrote.
Mayor Bill de Blasio applauded the ruling, saying it is “more than just good news for the 150,000 New Yorkers who will use the Flushing Main Street busway every day. It’s a victory for everyone who believes that mass transit is the future of this city and the engine of our economic recovery.”
A senior organizer with the group Riders Alliance, Jolyse Race, celebrated the decision as a win of policy over politics: "Just as Trump and his supporters can't overturn the vote, neither can courts 'invade the province' of transportation policymakers on behalf of a few rich NIMBYs."
The Department of Transportation did not respond to questions about when installation of the Flushing Main Street busway would begin.
The petitioners that filed the restraining order to block the busway now have 30 days to challenge the judge’s decision. City lawyers say the initial lawsuit is still pending, but the DOT has the green light to open the busway if it chooses.
Tagged
busway
queens
we the commuters
flushing
Stephen Nessen
Stephen Nessen covers transportation. Since 2008 he has reported on everything from Occupy Wall Street, the rebuilding of the World Trade Center site, Hurricane Sandy, to Trump’s campaign for president. His transportation reporting has taken him everywhere from the MTA’s secret Rail Control Center to the gleaming subways of Seoul. 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
Man shot and killed on Midtown subway platform Saturday afternoon, NYPD says
Police said they're searching for a person of interest.
By
Ryan Kost
and
Elizabeth Kim
Published Oct 17, 2026 at 1:16 p.m. ET
Modified Oct 17, 2026 at 4:10 p.m. ET
Have you seen this Yorkie? NYPD looking for adorable pup dognapped from her Queens home
Suspects were driving a Subaru Forester, police said.
By
Ryan Kost
News
Have you seen this Yorkie? NYPD looking for adorable pup dognapped from her Queens home
Suspects were driving a Subaru Forester, police said.
By
Ryan Kost
Being reigning champions is weird for Knicks fans, but we could get used to this.
By
Catalina Gonella
Tompkins Square Park is getting a makeover. Some say it's too much.
By
Willow Higgins
Deer are all over New Jersey roads looking for sex, state officials warn
By
Rosemary Misdary
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 .