Prospect Park West Bike Lane Suit Drags On

There’s still no resolution in the lawsuit over the Prospect Park West bike lane, which had its latest day in court yesterday. Streetsblog reported that the hearing mostly involved “procedural maneuvering,” with Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan submitting an affidavit saying the lane was not installed on a trial basis. This counters an affidavit from Borough President Marty Markowitz saying Sadik-Khan told him it was a trial. The point is important because the judge can dismiss the case if it’s determined that the city installed the lane as a permanent project since the statute of limitations ran out before a lawsuit was filed against it. Still, the city has indicated that it’s willing to drop its line of defense about the statute of limitations, according to Patch, with a lawyer saying “we won’t let this issue be used as a sideshow to delay this case from being resolved on the merits themselves.” Meanwhile, Transportation Alternatives sent out a press release about the lawsuit yesterday afternoon that had the following to say about the plaintiffs: “The bike lane’s opponents, represented by whiteshoe lawyer and former federal prosecutor James Walden, have spent the last several months making a bombastic and histrionic case—largely outside the courtroom—against the street safety improvements along Prospect Park West that are intended to curb deadly speeding and create safe space for bicyclists, pedestrians and drivers.” The next hearing is scheduled for August 3rd.
No Decision on PPW Bike Lane Case Today [Streetsblog]
City May Nix Statute of Limitations Argument [Patch]
The PPW Bike-Lane Lawsuit is a Reality [Brownstoner]