PPW Bike Lane is Here to Stay

The Prospect Park West bike lane lawsuit has hit the end of the road.

, Brooklyn Supreme Court Judge Bert Bunyan ruled Tuesday to dismiss the suit filed by Neighbors for Better Bike Lanes and Seniors for Safety.

The city's victory was hailed by Councilman Brad Lander, D-Park Slope, who said in a statement that the "bike path has been a huge success, making the boulevard safer for pedestrians, bicyclists, and drivers alike."

"Most residents of Park Slope have indicated that they like the new, safer Prospect Park West and want the bike path to remain," he said.

“The NYC Department of Transportation presented the project to the community numerous times, to hundreds of people, before and after it was implemented. They made changes in response to feedback before laying down any paint last summer," Lander added.

Jim Walden, who represented the NBBL and SFS pro bono, said he disagreed with the Judge Bunyan decision.

"The Judge had a very different and very independent view of the facts—different, in fact, than either party," Walden said in a statement.

"He dismissed our Petition without prejudice to us, held that DOT never made a decision concerning removal of the bike lane, invited us to demand that from DOT, and then re-file if DOT refuses to remove it.  At the same time, he granted our long-standing demand for public documents, which DOT wrongfully withheld."

Walden said he will now need time to figure out what the next move for the NBBL and SFS culd be.

The debate over the bike path's merits is a long-standing one in the neighborhood. There are those who and those who . 

“I don’t think any of us—on either side of the debate—thought we would be spending so much time debating one mile of green paint, inside or outside of a courtroom," said Lander. "I am glad to put this behind us, and I look forward to working together to find common sense ways to make our streets safer, our neighborhoods more livable, and our city more sustainable.”