I recently read an article in the New York Times by Patrick McGeehan. The article addresses the issues of where New York City cyclists can park their bikes. Those New Yorker’s who do use their bikes to commute to work have faced the problems of not being allowed to bring their bikes into their work buildings or having a secure place to lock them up. Many who have locked and left their bikes outside have returned to find them stolen or damaged. A couple of business executives have come up with a private-sector solution calling for a bikes-only parking lot. This lot would have its own attendant and be a practical solution to prevent damage to the bikes.
While this would be a great addition to the diversity associated with the city, the questions of where and how to provide this type of service arise. They have estimated that in order to make this concept come to fruition, they would need some sort of corporate sponsor to donate roughly $200, 000 a year to maintaining and funding such a lot. Stonehenge Management has offered a 2,600 square-foot-lot on the north side of 33rd Street, and plans for development have gone underway. The inital lot would hold 100 bikes and have the option to expand if the demand is there. As for fees, regular users would pay some sort of fee yet to be determined, but short-term use would be free of charge.
