The tides have turned on the streets of Astoria, Queens, where a ruling from a local judge has led to the halting of a protected bike lane on 31st Street—a decision that has drawn divisive reactions from the community and advocates alike. As previously reported by ABC 7 New York, street safety proponents braved the cold to protest the ruling, highlighting the data supporting the effectiveness of protected bike lanes in reducing traffic injuries and fatalities. Councilmember Tiffany Caban emphasized that evidence bears out the fact that, "If it saves lives, it's worth doing."
Opposing the installation, businesses and the St. Demetrios School argue, was a move to protect interests both financial and educational. Anthony Koulizakis, an owner of a local service station, told NY1, explained how the bike lane, albeit partially installed, "has increased traffic here like 20-fold." The judge echoed concerns that the Department of Transportation (DOT) had not sufficiently addressed the objections raised by the plaintiffs, who cited safety feedback from both the fire department and the local school.
In defense of the bike lane project, street safety advocates remain adamant about the projected benefits of the redesign on 31st Street—a corridor the DOT designated as a Vision Zero priority due to its troubling history of road-related injuries and fatalities. As per the data cited by these advocates, protected bike lanes have a track record of making streets safer, a point underscored by Ben Furnas, executive director of Transportation Alternatives, in his interview with NY1 wherein he labeled the court's decision as a "horrible tragedy."
At the heart of the matter is the question of safety and the allocation of street space—a balance between the needs of businesses, schools, and the cycling community. As cars have already reoccupied the embattled bike lane, the completion of a nearby redesign on 31st Avenue was cited by John Surico of the 31st Avenue Open Street in his statement obtained by ABC 7 New York.
