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Court Street Bike Lane Dispute Highlights Shift Away From Car-Centric city Planning
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New data reveals the vast majority of people access Court Street in Brooklyn via foot, public transit, or bicycle – challenging arguments from some business owners who claim a new protected bike lane is detrimental to commerce. The Department of Transportation (DOT) presented this evidence in court as it defends against a lawsuit seeking to overturn the recently installed bike lane.
The legal challenge, brought by the Court Street Merchants Association last month, centers on the reconfiguration of the roadway from two southbound lanes to one to accommodate the protected bike lane. Merchants argue this change will negatively impact their businesses. However, DOT data suggests a essential disconnect between perception and reality regarding how people utilize this vital Brooklyn corridor.
Pedestrians and transit Dominate Court Street Access
According to testimony submitted to the court, a staggering 73 percent of people surveyed by DOT in 2024 reach court Street on foot. Furthermore, 64 percent utilize the subway or bus. These figures,filed wiht the court last week,demonstrate that walking and public transportation are the dominant modes of access. Notably, respondents were able to select multiple transportation methods, resulting in percentages exceeding 100 percent.
More than 20 percent of those surveyed (22 percent) reported arriving by bicycle or Citi Bike. in stark contrast, only 7 percent drive alone, with an additional 7 percent using ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft, and 4 percent carpooling. This means a mere 18 percent of people reach Court Street by car – considerably fewer than those who arrive on two wheels.
Brooklyn Trends Mirror Court Street Data
This pattern aligns with broader transportation trends in the surrounding area. Census data compiled by Transportation Alternatives and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology indicates that 82 percent of residents in Brooklyn’s Community District 6 commute by mass transit, walking, or biking.
The area is well-served by public transportation, with three subway stops on the F and G lines located one block over on Smith street, and the B57 bus line running directly along Court Street. “Obviously, [buses and subways] move a lot more people than the cars parked on the block,” stated Jon Orcutt, a former DOT policy chief who now serves as director of advocacy at Bike New York.
Safety Concerns Drove Demand for Bike lane
The DOT’s comprehensive 81-page survey, conducted in mid-July 2024, reveals that 59 percent of respondents specifically requested a protected bike lane to address issues of speeding and illegal parking. The implemented redesign, completed this summer and fall, removed one travel lane and installed a parking-protected bike lane. It also shortened pedestrian crossing distances and improved visibility by prohibiting parking at crosswalks.
Prior to the changes, DOT data indicated that 155 people were injured on Court Street between January 1, 2020, and the end of 2024. The agency notes that protected bike lanes reduce overall crash injuries by 15 percent, with an 18 percent reduction for pedestrians and a 22 percent reduction for senior pedestrians.
“The redesign of Court Street follows the best safety practices from around the world and is similar to countless streets across New York City,” the DOT wrote in a presentation to the local community board in June. “Protected bike lanes have proven to improve safety for everyone on the road, while also helping support local businesses, and we look forward to defending the project in court.”
Merchants Association Challenges Redesign
Despite the data,the Court Street Merchants Association maintains that the redesign will harm the “all members of the Court Street community” by hindering deliveries,increasing risks for vulnerable populations,and even obstructing access for emergency vehicles and religious services.
Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Inga O’Neale allowed the city to complete the bike lane redesign but has indicated she will issue a ruling on the road’s fate before the end of the year, with the next hearing scheduled for Monday, November
