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Merchants announce lawsuit and urge board attention after White Plains Road bike lane installation
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Summary
The Allerton International Merchants Association says merchants and residents oppose the White Plains Road bike lanes and plan to sue to remove them, citing delivery disruptions, lost revenue for small businesses and safety concerns for seniors and pedestrians; the association said Community Board 11 did not approve the installation.
Representatives of local merchants told Community Board 11 on Dec. 18 they plan legal action to remove recently installed bike lanes on White Plains Road, and urged the board to recognize business and pedestrian safety concerns.
"We are filing a lawsuit against the city . . . where we will have these bike lanes removed," said Jean DeFrancis of the Allerton International Merchants Association. DeFrancis said merchants, residents and the business association surveyed the corridor and concluded the bike lane installation has harmed deliveries and customer access for small shops, including a Key Food and a local bakery.
DeFrancis said the community board did not approve the White Plains Road installation and that the bike lane places cyclists and pedestrians at risk when vendors and delivery activity occur at the curb. She recounted an episode she said she witnessed in which a young child nearly was struck at a bus stop adjacent to the bike lane and referenced a prior local injury attributed to an e-bike.
Board members and residents raised competing concerns. Some riders and residents supported protected infrastructure for safety; others — including merchants and some seniors — argued delivery access and safe loading are being compromised. One board member noted enforcement of parking rules and vendor behavior as a central issue.
The merchants’ speaker singled out e-bikes and fast delivery riders as a particular worry, saying some riders travel at speeds that create hazards on busy commercial corridors. Board members asked whether the association had coordinated with neighboring Community Board 12 and with DOT. DeFrancis said they had discussed the issue with nearby boards and that a petition had not been pursued locally before installation.
Because the full board did not have a quorum, there was no opportunity to take a formal vote or adopt a resolution during the meeting. Board members suggested the item be discussed in committee and encouraged additional outreach to merchants, vendors and DOT to clarify loading zones and enforcement options.
