Bikes in Buildings Bill Introduced in City Council

On July 22 Bronx City Councilmember Adolfo Carrion introduced legislation to the Council's Housing and Building Committee which would require owners of commercial buildings to allow tenants and their employees with bicycles to use freight elevators. The bill - Intro. No. 584 - aims to create secure parking for bicycle commuters. The bill states that "the owner...or person... in control of any building shall make reasonable provisions to provide access to locations where [tenants', or subtenants'] bicycles shall be stored... such reasonable provisions may include the designation of freight service elevators, where such elevators exist in a building, for the use by such tenant, subtenant or person with a bicycle." The need for this bill is clear, as a recent Department of City Planning survey identified the lack of secure parking as the greatest obstacle to bicycle commuting in NYC.

A representative from the Building Owners' and Managers' Association of greater NY (BOMA) expressed support at the press conference introducing the bill. However, since then BOMA seems to have retreated from active support for the bill to a colder neutrality - despite the bill being modified to address their concerns. When a similar bill was proposed in San Francisco, the West Coast BOMA opposed the legislation, but then agreed to voluntarily implement the provisions of the legislation. T.A. continues to work for the passage of the bill, which will be a huge advance for cyclists in NYC.

Write to City Council Speaker Vallone and request a hearing for Intro. No. 584.

Speaker Peter Vallone
22-45 31st St.
Astoria, NY 11105
Fax: 718-726-0357
vallone@council.nyc.ny.us 

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