Overview
- Judge Chereé Buggs directed the city to restore 31st Street between 31st Avenue and Newtown Avenue to its prior configuration within 30 days.
- The ruling found the DOT violated lawful procedure by missing required consultations with the Department of Small Business Services and the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities.
- Buggs credited FDNY field-demonstration warnings that ladder trucks could not reach upper floors under the elevated tracks with the redesign in place.
- DOT had partially installed a protected lane on one side of the corridor after work began in August, with a broader plan for protected lanes on both sides between 36th Avenue and Newtown Avenue.
- Local businesses and St. Demetrios School brought the suit over delivery access, parking, emergency response and student safety concerns, while Transportation Alternatives condemned the decision and said it expects the city to appeal.