A coalition of residents representing several Manhattan neighborhoods has sued New York City, contending planned transportation changes both will adversely impact them and that the city violated the law.
The city is planning to launch a crosstown busway on 14th Street and construct bike lanes on 12th and 13th streets. But in their lawsuit, residents of Chelsea, the Flatiron District and the West Village argue that the city violated state environmental laws because it didn’t thoroughly review how blocking cars along 14th Street will affect surrounding neighborhoods.
Resident and local governments often find themselves at odds, and the result is that residents initiate litigation against their local government to preserve resident rights, and endure that neighborhoods are preserved in the manner the community demands.
If your community is at odds with your local government, Bashian P.C. can help.
“The Plans being addressed here are the government thumbing its nose at the views of residents and the character of three neighborhoods in order to speed up busses by one or two miles per hour and promote use of bicycles,” reads part of the court filing.
The suit further contends that the buses would block traffic from moving on 14th Street, bringing “horrific traffic jams” along with noise and air pollution.
The busway will be in place when the L train is shut down between Manhattan and Brooklyn for repairs. It is scheduled to open on July 1 and run from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. each day, limiting through traffic to trucks and buses only. Passenger cars will be severely restricted.
The city said about 27,000 daily riders will experience an increase in bus speeds of 30 percent.
When people buy or rent real estate in a pricey city such as New York, the decisions are not made lightly. Traffic patterns and ease of access are one of the many factors that figure into a decision about where to live. Residents have a right to sue to try to block a project that they believe will impact their quality of life.
