Improving Outdoor Bike Parking and Policy
in New York City
December 2004
115 West 30th Street, Suite 1207 • New York, NY 10001 • (212) 629-8080 • Fax (212) 629-8334 • www.transalt.org
Improving Outdoor Bike Parking and Policy in New York City
December 2004
1. Introduction
Problem Statement: The growth of bike riding in New York City has created a massive demand
for short-term, outdoor bike parking. The increase in bike riding is also leading to an increase in
abandoned bicycles locked to bike racks and other public property. The City of New York needs
to improve and expand its outdoor bike parking policy to manage the identification, tagging,
removal and, if needed, return of seized bicycles incorrectly suspected of abandonment.
The Need for Outdoor Bike Parking in NYC
Bike riding is agreed to be good for New Yorkers and good for New
York City. It is part of a healthy and active lifestyle and reduces the
stresses associated with urban life. Biking reduces traffic congestion
and subway and bus crowding and does not contribute to air and
noise pollution.
Fortunately, bicycle use is growing in New York City. Based on
NYC DOT bike counts, Transportation Alternatives estimates that
the number of people who ride a bike in New York City on an
average weekday increased from 103,000 in 1996 to 112,000 in
2004, a 10% increase.
Providing adequate outdoor
bike parking is an essential
aspect of the City’s effort to
increase bike riding. When
New Yorkers take short
bike rides to subway
stations, parks and
playgrounds, stores, movies,
restaurants, friends’ houses
or to run errands they need a
secure sidewalk fixture to
which to lock their bikes. A
major attraction of biking is
the convenience of being
able to park outside your
destination. Bike racks organize parked bicycles and keep sidewalks free from obstructions. Thus,
to encourage more bike riding and improve sidewalk safety, it is essential that the DOT install
more racks wherever they are needed.
Unfortunately, bicycle parking, both outdoor and indoor, is not keeping pace with the increasing
number of New Yorkers who bike. There are 3,400 City-installed bike racks in New York—one
rack for every thirty-three bikers. This low ratio of bike racks to bike riders erodes the
convenience of bicycling. And, New Yorkers often find themselves with little choice but to lock
their bikes to street signposts, lampposts, parking meters and other sidewalk fixtures.
This report presents strategies to improve outdoor bike parking in New York City. (Indoor
parking involves different factors and will be addressed separately.)
2
The Need for Sensible Outdoor Bike Parking Policies in NYC
With only one bicycle rack for every thirty-three bicycle riders, New York’s bike riders must
use other objects to secure their bicycles, such as street signposts, lampposts, parking meters,
subway entrances, fences, and, unfortunately, trees. There is no City or State law that prohibits or
affirms people’s right to lock their bicycles to public street fixtures. According to State Vehicle
and Traffic Law, one may not alter, deface, injure, knock down, cover, remove, or otherwise
interfere with the operation of public traffic signals and signs and other highway appurtenances. It
is against New York City law to lock a bicycle to a tree because the bicycle and lock could harm
and potentially kill the tree. Locking to non-bike rack fixtures is not ideal, but due to the lack of
City-installed racks, it is often the only viable option.
By comparison, Chicago, population 3,000,000, boasting 42,000 daily bikers and claim to the
most bike-friendly big city in the U.S., has 10,000 City-installed bike racks—one rack for every
four cyclists. By this measure, New York City needs an immediate infusion of 28,000 bike racks.
It took the City of New York eight years to install 3,400 racks, and at that rate, it'll take the City
seventy years to install another 28,000.
Compounding the extreme shortage of on-street bike racks is the lack of a cross-agency policy to
regulate where and when people can lock their bicycles to public-property and how to deal with
abandoned bicycles or bicycles locked in a dangerous manner. Based on anecdotal reports, each
year government agencies unlawfully remove dozens of bicycles from public appurtenances.
This occurs without warning or clear methods for owners to reclaim their bicycles.
The City of New York needs:
A) An immediate infusion of 28,000 new bike racks.
B) To establish a policy that affirms people’s right to lock their bicycles to public sidewalk
fixtures (so long as the bicycle does not block the sidewalk).
C) To establish a cross-agency policy on how to identify, tag, remove and, if needed, return
abandoned bicycles.
These outdoor bicycle parking improvements will encourage more bike riding in New York City.
3
2. Improving Outdoor Bicycle Parking in New York City
Background
Eight years ago, there were no
City-installed bike racks in
New York City. In 1996, at
the behest of advocates and
the public, the NYC
Department of Transportation
started CITYRACKS. The
CITYRACKS program uses
Federal clean air funding to
install free bike racks on
public property in all five
boroughs. Many Business
Improvements Districts have
also installed bike racks in
their neighborhoods. Despite
the DOT’s CITYRACKS
program and Business
Improvement District efforts,
there are still far too few bike racks available to New York’s cyclists.
According to the NYC Department of City Planning’s 1999 Bicycle Survey Report, the lack of
secure bike parking, and, thus, the fear of a stolen bike is the number one obstacle to would-be
bikers. New Yorkers would bike in droves if they had a secure place to store their bicycles.
The fear is founded, as New York City has the worst (or best) bike thieves in the country. New
York consistently tops the lock manufacture, Kryptonite’s list of the most dangerous cities to lock
bikes. The New York City Police Department reports six to eight thousand bike thefts each year;
Transportation Alternatives estimates there are actually ten times that amount, as only a small
fraction of those stolen are reported to the police. Unfortunately, the police report that, on
average, only 2% of stolen bikes are recovered each year. It is simply not safe to park a bike on
the sidewalk overnight or for an entire workday.
With over thirty times as many
bike riders as there are DOT
bike racks, there are simply
not enough racks to meet the
huge demand for short-term
bike parking. Short-term bike
parking in the city is largely a
free-for-all. In popular cycling
neighborhoods, where the few
existing bike racks are well
used, people are forced to lock
their bicycles to all available
fixtures, sometimes to the
detriment of pedestrians. The
DOT needs to install more racks.
4
NYC Department of Transportation CITYRACKS Program
Since the City Department of Transportation’s CITYRACKS program started installing bike
racks in 1996, the number of people who bike everyday in NYC has increased 10%, from
103,000 to 112,000.
Since 1996, the DOT CITYRACKS program has installed 3,400 bike racks in New York’s five
boroughs. However, New York still lags behind many US cities. Chicago bikers for instance,
enjoy the use of 10,000 racks. A major impediment to the provision of bike racks is the City’s
cumbersome contracting system. Furthermore, some Community Boards can veto rack locations,
despite other street furniture not being subject to Community Board approval.
Requests for free bike racks can be made to the DOT. See
http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/bikeped/bikerack.html
http://www.transalt.org/campaigns/bike/outdoor.html
CITYRACKS Policies
The NYC Department of Transportation CITYRACKS’ installation policy reads:
CITYRACKS are installed on City-
owned property throughout the five
boroughs, usually on the City-owned
sidewalk. By the end of 2004, 3,400
racks will be installed citywide. The
sites selected are virtually everywhere
bicyclists go: business districts,
neighborhood shopping areas,
universities, museums, libraries. The
criteria for CITYRACKS are as
follows:
City-owned property;
Wide sidewalks (minimum sidewalk
width 12 feet);
Removed from the natural flow of
pedestrians, usually at the curb and
always away from crosswalks;
Usually a minimum of 6 feet from
other street furniture (e.g., street signs,
mailboxes, benches, telephones)
Greater distances from certain features (e.g., up to 13 feet from fire hydrants, and 15 feet
from bus stop shelters and newsstands)
Recommendations to Increase the Outdoor of Bike Parking in New York City
CITYRACKS would greatly benefit from increased funding and staff. The program installs
racks in fits and spurts and is often held up by the bureaucracy of dealing with City contractors.
More staff would help cut through the red tape and keep up with the day-to-day demand for bike
5
racks—currently at 150 requests per year plus another 250 rack installations based on staff
recommendations. More staff would also allow the program to expand into elementary, middle
and high schools, colleges and universities and cultural and civic institutions.
The City of New York needs to establish a policy that affirms people’s right to lock their
bicycles to public sidewalk fixtures (so long as the bicycle does not block the sidewalk). There
is no City or State law that prohibits or affirms people’s right to lock their bicycles to public street
fixtures According to New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law Article 24, Section 1115, one
may not alter, knock down, cover, remove, or interfere with the operation of public traffic signals
and signs and other street fixtures. It is against New York City law to lock a bicycle to a tree
because the bicycle and lock could harm and potentially kill the tree.
A bicycle resting on the sidewalk, locked to a traffic signal pole or signpost, lamppost, parking
meter, bus stop poles and other public street fixtures does not interfere with the operation of these
things and, thus is not against the law. Locking to non-bike rack fixtures is not ideal, but due to
the lack of DOT-installed racks, it is often the only viable option.
New Yorkers must be able to lock their bicycles to traffic signal poles or signposts, lampposts,
parking meters, bus stop poles and other public appurtenances with the confidence that it is legal
and that their bicycle will be there upon their return.
How many bike racks is enough? New Yorkers need as many bike racks as the City can install.
Chicago has one bike rack for every four riders and this ought to be New York’s target. Chicago
installs about 900 racks each year, compared to the City of New York’s 400.
6
3. Improving Abandoned Bicycle Removal Policies in New York City
Background
Transportation Alternatives has received many reports of City employees removing bicycles
locked to public street fixtures and traffic appurtenances. The bicycles removed are often
incorrectly suspected of being abandoned (see Appendix IV). Based on these reports,
Transportation Alternatives estimates that dozens of bicycles are unlawfully seized by
government agencies each year. It has been either unreasonably difficult or impossible for owners
to recover their bicycle, and many owners simply assume that their bikes were stolen by thieves,
not government agents.
Transportation Alternatives surveyed the following government agencies on their policies
regarding the removal of abandoned bicycles:
MTA New York City Transit NYC Department of Transportation
NYC Department of Parks and Recreation NYC Fire Department
NYC Department of Sanitation NYC Police Department
No agency reported to have a specific policy for managing abandoned, or otherwise
dangerously parked, bicycles that, for example, block sidewalks. Nor did any agency reveal
information on the number of bicycles it removes each year.
The MTA New York City Transit and the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation
reported removing bicycles under general abandoned or lost property policies. The MTA New
York City Transit and the New York City Department of Sanitation indicated that such a policy
would most likely be under the purview of the New York City Department of Transportation,
which manages New York City’s sidewalks and public appurtenances there.
The New York City Department of Transportation said that it was looking into the matter.
The New York City Police Department and New York City Fire Department did not respond.
This lack of a specific abandoned bicycle policy causes agency confusion over how to respond to
public complaints regarding parked bicycles blocking the sidewalk and causing dangerous
conditions and what to do with abandoned bicycles. The lack of policy results in city agencies
acting on an ad hoc basis, cutting bike locks without notifying bike owners and, essentially,
stealing people’s bicycles. This is wrong. The City needs a straightforward outdoor bike parking
policy to end the confusion.
A citywide policy is required to manage the identification,
tagging and removal of abandoned bicycles and the return of
bicycles incorrectly suspected of abandonment. It is essential that
this policy be followed by all relevant City and State government
agencies and other public and private authorities. It is also critical
that such a policy offers reasonable warning to the bike-owner that
the bicycle is suspected of abandonment. It would be unwise to
remove and dispose of bikes suspected of being abandoned without
allowing owners to intervene to claim their property. Currently this is
what has been happening. Moreover, once a bicycle is removed, a
method must be available for the owner to claim it.
7
Recommendations for a Rational, Citywide Abandoned Bicycle Removal Policy
In its broadest application, a policy for removing abandoned bicycles in New York City should
establish a consistently applied strategy among all New York City agencies, the MTA, Hudson
River Park Trust and other New York State agencies and authorities that operate and provide
services within the City of New York. The City needs a straightforward outdoor bike parking
policy to end the confusion. Such a policy would address the two major concerns of this issue:
• Removing abandoned and dangerously parked bicycles that clog city streets,
sidewalks, and bike racks, and
• Preventing the removal of legitimately stored bicycles.
The city’s policy must allow bicycle owners to claim their bicycles both before and after their
bicycle is impounded.
The current act of removing bicycles suspected of being abandoned, without warning or clear
means of recovery is both illegal and out of step with national and international practice. With
this in mind, the following recommendations are offered:
The Policy Guidelines
Bicycles meeting any of the following criteria may safely be identified as “abandoned:”
• Bicycles that show signs of disuse or neglect, including but not limited to missing
parts, flat tires, or coverings of dust or dirt, especially on top of the saddle.
• Bicycles that have been reported to Community Board, elected officials, NYPD,
DOT, Dept. of Sanitation, Parks Dept., 311, etc. as abandoned by multiple sources.
Upon being identified as abandoned, an
agency officer may affix a tag or sticker
to a conspicuous part of the bicycle which
contains the following information:
• The date the bicycle was identified as
abandoned
• The date the bicycle is tagged as
abandoned.
• The date it will be removed by the
agency or department (minimum of two
weeks from tagging date).
• Bicycle description: brand/model, color,
identifying features
• IDing agent or officer
• IDing agent or officer’s agency or
department
• Contact info for the agency or
department, including a toll free
telephone number.
This is standard practice in London (UK),
see photo (right).
8
If an owner finds a tag on their bicycle, they can call the number on the tag to inform the relevant
authority that their bicycle is not abandoned.
Once a bicycle has been clipped, the authority should place a notice with contact information
proximal to where the bicycle was removed from and store the bicycle in a secure facility.
Bicycle owners who believe that their bicycle may have been impounded may reclaim their
bicycles by the same procedure currently in use by the NYPD for other impounded property. This
may require a bill of sale or other proof of ownership of the bike, the serial number of the bike, or
simply a visual description of it. Moreover, to enable an efficient response to enquiries from
bicycle owners, one agency/authority should be responsible for handling enquires.
The following information should be entered into a database by the relevant agent or officer to
enable efficient processing of enquires:
Brand of bicycle
Model of bicycle
Color of bicycle
Distinguishing characteristics/accessories
Date/location of removal
The bicycle must be held for a reasonable time (minimum of two to three months).
Once the hold time has passed, bicycles become the property of the City of New York and can be
donated to a charitable organization, auctioned or discarded.
The promulgating body of this policy should either be the City Council, which would have
the weight of law behind it to compel the relevant agencies to comply, or the NYC Department
of Transportation, which already oversees sidewalk regulations and operations and bicycle
racks, street signposts, lampposts, parking meters and other traffic appurtenances and street
fixtures where the majority of abandoned bicycles sit. In that case, the Department of
Transportation must be given sufficient authority to compel other city agencies to comply.
9
4. Conclusions
New York City bicyclists must be able to lock their bikes with confidence that they will be there
upon their return. Currently this is not possible due to a lack of bike racks and bike parking
policies, high rates of theft and the clipping of locks by City agencies.
A rapid increase in the number of NYC Department
of Transportation-installed bike racks is urgently
required. This will increase the security of parked
bicycles in New York. Moreover, it will reduce the
need for bikers to lock their bikes in places that
cause a hazard to pedestrians.
In the meantime, the City must affirm New Yorkers’
lawful right to lock their bicycles to traffic signal
poles or signposts, lampposts, parking meters, bus
stop poles and other public traffic appurtenances and
street fixtures, so long as the locked bicycle does not
create a hazardous public safety condition.
The ad hoc removal of suspected abandoned bicycles by City and State government agencies
must stop. The NYC Fire, Parks, Police, Sanitation and Transportation Departments and MTA
New York City Transit need to agree on a standard policy for identifying, tagging and removing
abandoned bicycles. Bike owners must be offered an opportunity to reclaim them. One agency
should lead this process—probably NYC DOT, since it regulates and maintains New York City
sidewalks.
Implementation of these recommendations will improve the poor state of bike security in New
York. This will increase the rate of bicycling, thereby improving the quality of life for all New
Yorkers.
10
APPENDIX I. Stated New York City and State policies relating to parked bicycles.
NYC Department of Parks and Recreation
From http://nycgovparks.org/sub_things_to_do/facilities/af_bike_paths.html#can_tree:
7. Can I lock my bicycle to a tree?
NO! Locking your bicycle to a tree is harmful to the tree…and could cost you a $1,000 fine!
Chains and locks can damage the protective bark and the cambium (inner skin) layer of a tree.
The cambium layer transports sap, the lifeblood of trees, and is the most delicate part of a tree.
Chains and locks can also leave a permanent scar on the trunk and leave an opening for parasites
and fungus. Be tree-friendly and don't lock your bike to one!
From http://www.nycgovparks.org/sub_about/rules_and_regulations/rr_1-04.html:
NYC Department of Parks and Recreation Rules and Regulations
§1-04 Prohibited Uses
(b) Destruction or Abuse of Trees, Plants, Flowers, Shrubs and Grass
(1) (i) No person shall deface, write upon, injure, sever, mutilate, kill or remove from the ground
any trees under the jurisdiction of the Department without permission of the Commissioner.
Letter from Commissioner Adrian Benepe, NYC Department of Parks and Recreation,
(October 15, 2004) to Transportation Alternatives in response to a question regarding the
agency’s policy on clipping the locks of bicycles affixed to public property.
“At Parks we have no specific rule prohibiting the practice [of locking bicycles to public
property], but we do not allow people to store or leave unattended personal property within or
adjacent to any park. We have invoked this rule to remove from fences and other structure
bicycles that appear to have been abandoned. We rely on observations from field staff, who
inspect parks regularly and observe bicycles’ conditions to determine whether they are
abandoned. Property confiscated from a person n the course of an enforcement action is
vouchered and stored in accordance with Police Department procedures. Abandoned property,
however, is not subject to that process and is usually discarded.”
MTA New York City Transit
Letter from Paul J. Fleuranges, Vice President, Office of Corporate Communications, MTA
NYCT, (November 19, 2004) to Transportation Alternatives in response to a question
regarding bicycles locked to subway station entrances.
“If the owner of a bicycle is not immediately evident, or if a bicycle is found to be obstructing a
subway entrance, it has been the practice of Station Operations to remove the bicycle to our Lost
Property Office, located on the lower mezzanine level of the 34th Street/8th Avenue station. In
accordance with Lost Property procedures, all lost items found by employees or given to
employees by other customers, must be logged and tagged for identification purposes. Employees
may assist customers by giving them the telephone numbers of the Lost Property Office, where
the staff makes every attempt to ensure that all lost property received is returned to its owner, as
long as the owner can be identified and contacted.”
New York State Vehicle & Traffic Law
ARTICLE 24: TRAFFIC SIGNS, SIGNALS AND MARKINGS
Section 1115. Interference with official traffic-control devices, railroad signs or signals
and other highway appurtenances.
S 1115. Interference with official traffic-control devices, railroad signs or signals and
other highway appurtenances. (a) No person shall without lawful authority attempt to or
in fact alter, deface, injure, knock down, cover, remove, or otherwise interfere with any
official traffic-control device or any railroad sign or signal, or any inscription, shield, or
insignia thereon, or any other part thereof; any bridge or similar structure; any
monument, lamppost, telephone pole, fence, walk, curb, tree, rock cut or other
appurtenance on a highway right of way.
(b) For the purposes of this section, to `deface` shall include, but not be limited to, to
damage, destroy, disfigure, erase, ruin, distort, spoil or otherwise change the external
appearance of an object by the use of chalk, crayon, paint, stain, ink or other similar
material.
APPENDIX II. Review of abandoned bicycle removal policies in the U.S.
There is a common thread running through the following well-designed solutions to accumulated
abandoned bicycles.
• The most important aspect of all these plans is that a reasonable amount of time
be allowed for owners to move their bikes or claimants to come forward and
reclaim impounded bikes.
• All make provisions for the owner of the abandoned bicycle to claim it, either
prior to or after impoundment. The methods vary from city to city.
• Some cities place notice on the bike in the form of a tag or sticker that alerts the
owner to impending removal of the bike, prior to which the owner may move the
bike or inform the necessary authorities that the bike is not abandoned.
• Some cities impound bicycles which appear abandoned and allow owners to
claim them from an impound facility.
• Between the initial inspection and the removal of the bicycle, all cities and
campuses allow the owner a given amount of time to move their bicycle before it
is impounded. However, the time varies widely from locality to locality.
• In two localities (Chicago and Iowa City), the policy is promulgated through
local legislative laws or ordinances.
• In two localities (Stanford University and UC Davis ), the policy is promulgated
by administrative policy.
The principle agency responsible for identifying, tagging and removing abandoned bicycles
in these localities is as follows:
Chicago, IL – Department of Transportation
Denver, CO – Denver Police Department
Iowa City, IA – Iowa City Police Department (primary).
Any officer, agent, or employee of the city (secondary).
Stanford University, CA - Stanford University Department of Public Safety
UC Davis, CA - UC Davis Police Department and Transportation and Parking Services
APPENDIX III. Plans for preventing the accumulation of abandoned bicycles for select
cities are as follows:
Chicago, IL
The commissioner of transportation or his designee is authorized to affix notices to
abandoned bikes. This notice shall indicate a telephone number for the owner to call to inform the
department of transportation that the bicycle is not abandoned, and the date after which the
bicycle may be removed if it is not claimed by its owner. If a bicycle is not relocated or claimed
by its owner within seven days of the affixing of a Notice of Abandonment, that bicycle may be
removed and disposed of by the commissioner of transportation or his designee.
Denver, CO
Abandoned bicycles left on public property can be impounded like any other abandoned
property. Impounded bicycles are stored for safekeeping for a period of time. If no claimant
claims the bicycle, it is auctioned off.
Iowa City, IA
The police department or any officer, agent or employee of the city so designated may
remove abandoned bicycle to a place designated by the chief of police for the storage of
impounded bicycles. Upon impoundment of such bicycle, the city shall notify the last known
owner of such impoundment by first class mail. In the event the city is unable to ascertain the
owner, or the owner does not claim the bicycle within three (3) calendar months from the date of
impoundment, the city shall cause such bicycle to be sold at a public auction.
Stanford University, CA
If left unattended, a bicycle may be tagged by the Stanford University Department of
Public Safety as abandoned. If the bicycle is not removed in 72 hours, the department may
dispose of it.
UC Davis, CA
The UC Davis Police Department and Transportation and Parking Services are authorized
to move, relocate, immobilize or impound any bicycle which appears to be abandoned as
evidenced by signs of disuse or neglect. Any bicycle impounded pursuant to any section of this
Chapter shall be stored in a secure facility designated for such purpose. A fee shall be charged to
the owner prior to the release of any impounded bicycle. Fees collected pursuant to this Section
shall be retained to support programs related to bicycle safety, bicycle facilities improvement, the
security of bicycles or the enforcement of those laws and regulations relating to bicycles or
reasonably related matters.
APPENDIX IV. Public reports of City agents clipping, or threatening to seize, bicycles
locked to public appurtenances.
-----Original Message-----
From: KIRSTEN
Sent: Monday, June 21, 2004 12:59 PM
To: info@transalt.org
Subject:
Hello,
I've been riding my bike for the last 4 months and in that time have
been hit by cars twice (who never even stopped to see if I was ok) and
honked and
yelled at by countless cars, people, etc. But, Friday took the
cake...the
Brooklyn police cut my bike off a pole at the Bedford L stop and won't
give it back w/o a receipt w/serial number...what can I do to get it
back and how
can I work to get bike racks installed sooner rather than later??? Any
information or help would be great. I am also interested in getting
involved in some way.
Sincerely,
Kirsten
-----Original Message-----
>From: "Noah Budnick"
>To:
>Subject: clipped bike
>Date: Tue, 28 Sep 2004 17:47:11 -0400
>
>Kristen,
>
>I've been fielding a lot of questions about clipped bikes and wanted
to know if you ever got your bike back from the NYPD.
>
>Best,
>Noah
>
>___________________________________________
>Transportation Alternatives
>The advocates for bicyclists, pedestrians, and sensible
transportation.
>115 West 30th Street, Suite 1207 . New York, NY 10001-4010
>Phone (212) 629-8080 . Fax (212) 629-8334
>Email: projects@transalt.org . http://www.transalt.org
-----Original Message-----
From: KIRSTEN
Sent: Wednesday, September 29, 2004 1:07 AM
To: projects@transalt.org
Subject: RE: clipped bike
hey noah,
first thank you for calling me, i always INTEND to call people back...
yes, i got my bike back from the police...after all the fuss they were
pretty lax about it...i brought in a receipt (no serial number, but
with
webphoto) and they released it to me.
then it got stolen, again, so i got a new bike.
then i walked past it, randomly, called the cops and got it back.
now i have 2 bikes.
my luck seems to be good with bikes, (or cops, but i am also a girl)
hope that helps, kirsten
Telephone message:
October 8, 2004
Joseph
7 West 92nd Street
Re: Cops clipping bikes in front of building
my bike wasn't stolen during the RNC in the way you're describing, but:
My last bike was locked up with a good lock, one with a very thick
cable and not one with a tubular key - I knew enough about locks to
know that tubular locks were crap. So it was quite surprised last June
to find my bike stolen. Now, three months later, I'm hearing that the
NYPD clipped out bikes during the RNC, and last week when Bush was at
the U.N., my friend who works at the U.N. SAW her bike get clipped by
the NYPD – she actually got it back (minus lock) after talking to them.
That got me thinking...
My bike was locked up at Hudson St. and Houston St., right at the end
of the Gay Pride Parade route, on the weekend of the parade. I called
311, and they directed me to the 6th Precinct. I spoke with someone
there who was quite understanding. She told me that it's something
that happens frequently, but that usually five days before the bikes
are clipped, it's tagged with a notice. I told her my bike wasn't
there for five days, it was locked up for about 36 hours. She told me
that her precinct didn't clip the bikes, she gave me a number for NYPD
Community Affairs. That number had an answering machine with no
identifying info on it - I left a message several days ago, never heard
back.
So I really want to know the fate of the RNC stolen bikes, because mine
might be in the same place. To recap the info you want:
I lost my bike sometime between 6PM on 6/25/04 and noon-ish on 6/27/04.
I was using a $40 extra-thick cable (I don't know the type off-hand,
but could research if it seems necessary), with a non-tubular lock. I
had it locked to a bike stand in front of 395 Houston Street. My phone
number is
I actually caught a cop from the 6th precinct IN THE ACT of
confiscating my bike. My bike was parked on Bedford Street locked to a
parking sign in front of a brownstone. From what the cop said, the
brownstone dwellers had complained about the bike. Anyway, I'm walking
out of my building to go to my restaurant job, 4 pm or so, and I see my
bike leaning against a police van. I ask the cop
about it and he says the bike's been parked there for 6 months. (I do
have another bike that I'd been using, but the bike in question was
there since the end of August. He'd already broken the lock, but I
mentioned to him that I really wanted the $90 kryptonite
chain which he gave me after telling me that I shouldn't touch it
because of all the dog piss that was probably on it. AFTER giving me
the chain he tells me he can't give me the bike because he has no proof
that it's mine. I produced the key that fit the lock that he'd just
busted. At this point I'm ten minutes late for work. He agrees to
give me the bike. I suggest that in the future they should put notes
on the bikes before confiscating them so people have a
chance to move them. (Meanwhile, when did it become illegal for people
to lock up bikes to parking signs for ANY amount of time?)
The cop was defensive from the beginning and I was trying to get to
work so I didn't get too argumentative with him. What I did do was
write to my neighbor in the brownstone and told them how I felt. Now I
notice that they have been putting notes on offending bikes - even
laminating the notes. In reading the note now I am aware that the
tenant in the basement unit has trouble getting her baby carriage out
with a bike parked there.
That's my story. In my three bike thefts in NYC in the last 25 years,
that's the only time I've caught the perp.
-----Original Message-----
From: Jonathan
Sent: Wednesday, August 11, 2004 2:19 AM
To: info@transalt.org
Subject: Web site comment or correction
On 2004-08-11 at 02:19:22,
The following information was submitted:
>From Host: 207.237.112.72
Comments = Today a friend of mine locked his bicycle to a railing
alongside the west side bike path and was ticketed $50 for "unattended
property."
The officers told him that he could have been ticketed for as much as
$200.
What's this all about? If the city starts ticketing bikes locked up
at
street signs, parking meters, etc., a whole bunch of us are going to be
broke real soon.
submit_by = Jonathan
Subscribe_e-bull =
addressed_to = General E-mail Box
location = http://transportationalternatives.org/about/contact.html
refer = http://transportationalternatives.org/
title = Contact us!