New Rule for New Buildings: Bike Parking
Earlier this year, we heard a lot about the potential fallout from a zoning amendment requiring developers to provide off-street parking in new buildings; critics said such a shift would create demand for cars, thus worsen our already rotten traffic situation. Well, perhaps DCP will now create demand for bicycles. Yesterday, City Planning Commissioner Amanda…
Earlier this year, we heard a lot about the potential fallout from a zoning amendment requiring developers to provide off-street parking in new buildings; critics said such a shift would create demand for cars, thus worsen our already rotten traffic situation. Well, perhaps DCP will now create demand for bicycles. Yesterday, City Planning Commissioner Amanda Burden announced an “initiative to require secure parking for bicycles in new multi-family residential, commercial and institutional buildings throughout the city,” per a press release they sent us. The newfangled amendment would enter the public review process on November 17th, and it’s designed to increase bike ridership (many more folks would ride if they knew they didn’t have to lug a bike up several flights of stairs and store it in the bathtub). Meanwhile, as the city considers adding tolls to the East River crossings, folks on Curbed asked, “Why don’t you all just bike over them?” Maybe, with bike storage and parking, they will.
Photo by GarySe7en.
maj2010 – like you, I started biking to midtown earlier this year, and its become almost an obsession, due to (i) shorter commute time and (ii) getting exercise.
I lock it up on the street (with 2 locks), and so far I haven’t encountered any problems (knock on wood).
This is great news. I started commuting by bike to my midtown office this spring. A safe place to park my bike near my office made my ‘biking experiment’ much easier.
FWIW, I’ve found bike commuting easier than expected. My experiment evolved into habit (maybe obsession). My commute is now shorter (40 minutes by bike from Park Slope vs. 50-60 minutes by subway) and I’ve lost a few pounds.
cwbuecheler – not everyone is driving ‘to Manhattan’.
I go over the Brooklyn Bridge everyday on my way to work in New Jersey via the Holland Tunnel.
Granted, I only ride two wheeled vehicles. For me it’s easier than two or three trains, quicker, and gives me more flexibility for errands after work. I don’t use much gas, don’t contribute to traffic backing up and am more ready to start the day at work after doing something I love (riding) than if I was crammed on a train.
I wouldn’t mind bridge fares, as I didn’t mind the congestion pricing plan, as long as they exempt two wheeled vehicles like other plans across the world.
PS – I might ride a bike if it were possible to get to Jersey City easily on a bike from Brooklyn.
Also, in regard to complaints about tolls on the East River bridge: who are all these people who own cars and drive them into Manhattan every day? If you live far from the subway, then I can see driving to and parking near the station … but driving all the way into Manhattan is crazy. Why would you do that? It’s like getting up each morning and starting your day off with a nice punch to the groin.
This may be the first thing the DCP has done I agree with in a long time.
I don’t bike, and doubt I will start, but I’m enthusiastic about any endeavors the city undertakes to become more bike-friendly.