NYC vows swift legal action to reopen Columbia's blocked College Walk
New York City has pledged to sue Columbia University if the College Walk pedestrian passage remains closed, citing a 1953 easement that requires public access.
New York City agreed to pursue swift legal action against Columbia University to compel the reopening of College Walk, a public-type pedestrian corridor linking Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue that has been locked since 202 3. The city’s stance rests on a 1953 easement obligating the university to maintain a 20-foot wide walkway for public use. After neighborhood residents filed a suit two years ago, a state judge signed a stipulation allowing the city to act, removing the mayor and police commissioner from the case.
City corporation counsel Steven Steven Banks emphasized that the easement does not specify exclusive use by Columbia affiliates. Columbia argues the closure, prompted by protests over Israel the Gaza war and safety concerns, is necessary, though its own magazine once described the path as a public walkway. Plaintiffs, represented by attorney Toby Golick, claim the blockage creates a nuisance and harms mobility-impaired residents, while a student survey shows most campus members favor reopening.
