Brooklyn's Bedford Avenue protected bike lane can be removed: judge
Judge says Bedford Ave. protected bike lane can be removed
It was a big win for the city and its?push to dismantle part of?the bike lane along Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn. FOX 5 NY's Kendall Green has the details.
BROOKLYN - It was a big win for the city and its push to dismantle part of the bike lane along Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn – a judge will allow the once-protected lanes to be removed.
What we know:
A state judge handed New York City Mayor Eric Adams a victory, while backpedaling from the bike lane on Bedford Avenue by ruling in his favor.
Through the judge's order handed down on Wednesday, the city’s Department of Transportation can now move the bike lanes between Willoughby and Flushing avenues further away from the curb.
The lanes were installed last year to protect cyclists from drivers in the area. In response to Adams’ recent pivot, the nonprofit, Transportation Alternatives, sued the administration, filing for a temporary restraining order along Bedford Avenue.
What they're saying:
"So far this year, with these new safety improvements, no one has died on the street in 2025," said Alexa Sledge, director of communications with Transportation Alternatives.
Sledge argues Adams' change of heart endangers cyclists along the area considered one of the deadliest streets for travelers.
"Making these changes will not remove people on bikes on the street," Sledge said. "It will only make it more dangerous for everyone who’s trying to bike there."
In a statement sent to FOX 5 NY, an Adams administration spokesperson said: "The families of Williamsburg can now rest assured that their children are safe just steps from their homes."
Bikers, though, are not happy that it looks like their lane has hit the end of its road.
"I'm not thrilled because I use this bike lane to get to the Williamsburg Bridge to get into Manhattan regularly," one biker told FOX 5 NY.