Last-Minute Court Decision Halts NYC's 14th Street Car Ban

A last-minute court decision has put the brakes on the city's 14th Street traffic plans -- which would have banned cars -- mere days before it was set to go into effect.

On Friday afternoon, a judge granted an appeal by a block association to prevent the car ban on 14th Street set for Monday.

The city wanted to make 14th Street – from 9th Avenue to 3rd Avenue – accessible only to buses and trucks during the morning rush.

The plan has been met by cheers and jeers.

The Department of Transportation says similar plans have worked well in other cities.

Arthur Schwartz, the lawyer for the block association, spoke with NBC 4 New York following the latest development.

“We had a temporary order in place since June 28 to bar DOT from implementing their busway plan. There were elements that were already in place like ‘No Left Turns’ and things like that, which we were fine with, but the banning of cars -- there was an injunction,” he said.

On Tuesday, a lower court judge lifted the stay and dismissed the lawsuit, which the block association subsequently appealed in order for the injunction to be reinstated, Schwartz said.

He added that the temporary restraining order on the car ban is back in effect until the group argues the appeal and a decision is made, which can take months.

There is no word if the city plans to appeal the ruling, but the DOT did say they will reevaluate the case.

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