Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
DOT

UPDATE: Judges Allow City to Start the 14th Street Busway; Mayor Vows to Start Next Week

An appeal slowed down the M14 Busway, but a ruling on Friday may jumpstart it. Photo: Google Maps

A panel of appeals judges has paved the way for the city to implement its plans for a car-free "busway" along 14th Street — and Mayor de Blasio says he won't wait to improve the lives of bus riders.

In a 3-2 ruling handed down on Friday, the Appellate Division, First Department overturned an earlier order blocking the busway until a full hearing on Chelsea and West Village residents' lawsuit against the city.

"The interim relief granted by an order of a justice of this court, dated Aug. 9, 2019, is hereby vacated," the three-judge majority wrote.

Dissenting judges did not rule on the merits, but merely said they would prefer to keep the busway from being implemented while the larger case continues.

Hours after Streetsblog posted the first version of this story, Mayor de Blasio tweet that the busway will roll out next week. The Department of Transportation later confirmed the busway would start on Thursday. The agency's web page provided all the details.

The ruling certainly does not end the lengthy saga of the city's intention to create a 14th Street busway, which was unveiled last year as a response to the MTA's plans to fully shutter the L subway line between Eighth Avenue in Manhattan and Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn to make much-needed repairs to the tunnel. The MTA eventually abandoned the full-shutdown plan, but the city decided it would keep the busway, which would bar most cars along the roadway between Third and Ninth avenues (pickups and drop-offs would still be allowed).

A coalition of West Village and Chelsea landowners sued and won a restraining order barring the city from beginning the work.

On Friday, activists hailed the ruling.

"New Yorkers who ride the M14 are about to see their bus line transformed from one of the city's slowest, into one of the fastest, practically overnight," Transportation Alternatives' Director of Advocacy Tom DeVito said in a statement. "This should bring an end to the legal shenanigans that have been holding up these improvements for months on end."

This is a breaking story. Check back later for updates. Read the decision here or below:

Busway Ruling by Gersh Kuntzman on Scribd

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

‘Preventable’: Hit-and-Run Driver Kills Two on Third Av. Corridor Eric Adams Refuses to Make Safer

A motorist struck and killed two men on a strip where Mayor Adams recently shelved a safety redesign amid a backlash from local business interests.

July 11, 2025

Why No BRT For NYC? Two New Reports Tackle Why Your Bus Service Sucks

Years of bus priority projects barely made a dent in speeds because Big Apple leaders won't install real bus rapid transit, two recent reports argue.

July 11, 2025

Citi Bike Riders Are Pissed About Eric Adams’s 15 MPH Speed Limit

Citi Bike's new 15 mph max speed limit is a bad deal for riders and a potential threat to safety, riders said.

July 11, 2025

Friday Video: Cyclists, Check Out Your Next City

Streetfilms' Clarence Eckerson visited London earlier this summer to check in on the Big Smoke's cycling revolution.

July 11, 2025

Friday’s Headlines: Just the News Edition

We've got one more workday before we can hit the beach. Plus the news.

July 11, 2025

Council To Close Instacart Loophole, Pass Delivery Industry Regulation Bills

The City Council will vote on Monday to close the "Instacart loophole" and force all app companies to pay workers a minimum wage.

July 10, 2025
See all posts