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After a little speed bump, the City Council has passed Intro. 871, the Bicycle Access Bill, which requires commercial landlords to allow office workers to bring bikes inside office buildings (with freight elevators) as long as their employers have space for the bikes. The bill passed 46-1; Transportation Alternatives' executive director Paul Steely White said, "No other city in the country has a policy like the one City Council passed today. When we open the doors of New York City's workplaces to cyclists, tens of thousands of commuters are going to get on two wheels." Transportation Alternatives also points out that though biking is the fastest growing mode of transportation in the city, many people don't bike to work, due to fear of their bikes may be stolen on the street. Photo: Listen Missy! on Flickr
City Council Passes Bikes In Buildings Bill
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the only reason I do not bike to work is the fear of getting killed. 1st ave during morning rush hour from the East Village to 80th street is very dangerous (esp. w/ me still half asleep).
If the East River had a bike path all the way up as the Hudson River does I would definitely bike to work.
Interesting. My commute for nearly 8 years was 1st Avenue from the LES to 47th Street, and I found it to be one of the safer street commutes in Manhattan. I never even had anything close to an accident during that time.
Now I'm commuting via bike from West Harlem to 47th and Park and it's also a pretty safe ride (albeit twice as long). It's definitely my favorite way to get to work, and I can't wait until my office building is forced to comply to this new law!
Gwinny, what route do you take?
From West Harlem?
Convent Avenue to St. Nicholas Terrace...down Morningside Avenue to 110/Central Park North... down 5th Avenue, across 62nd, down Park.
wow. respect! Although I'm a safe driver and have bicycled in the city for 15 years,1st ave really scares me in the morning. One time a car driver even yelled at me "do you want to get killed?", and I didn't even do anything.
However, if I had to only go to the 40s, maybe I would commute by bike too.
or maybe not :)
and commute back down on 2nd ave sucks too....
I imagine it depends on timing too. I tend to commute at slightly off-peak hours(at 9 AM rather than before). And yeah, 2nd Avenue is a bit hairier, but still doable. It would be better if there weren't so many jerks parking in the bike lane and cyclist going the wrong way up the bike lane below 14th Street.
Manhattan biking can get rough sometimes, but in general with good common sense and focus it's not too much to handle.
On the other hand, NEVER bike in Long Island City
EVER
I haven't commuted on 1st ave, but I definitely feel that most sections of 1st ave are very safe. Not around the Queensboro bridge though. Luckily, you can take east end and the river path there.
That's a reasonable fear to have. I've had a few close calls riding my bike. Usually happens when there is car blocking the bike lane and I have to go around.
Good news. Let's hope employers don't rush to make sure there's no "available space" for bicycles.
Good news, but "tens of thousands of commuters are going to get on two wheels."...prolly not, dude.
Awesome! Now if only they could figure out how to avoid getting killed in the traffic or body-slammed by a meat-headed cop.
Not against the bill, but I also assume that the City Council has provided, in it's infinite wisdom, protection for the building owners regarding such things as stolen bikes, drycleaning bills for those smeared with grease, and people tripping over bikes in commercial building hallways, all of which will put a hit on the business owner's commercial insurance, higher premiums assured. Love bikes, better mandated outdoor storage would have been better. Also, isn't a clerical/service employee not supposed to be riding a freight elevator? Liability lawyers everywhere are rubbing their hands together.
Also, isn't a clerical/service employee not supposed to be riding a freight elevator?
That is correct!
Only the building's elevator operators, porters, office cleaners, stationary engineers, security officers, building managers and other building service workers, as well as delivery drivers, messengers and construction workers doing jobs in the building are allowed in freight elevators.
The white collar folks aren't allowed in freight elevators because it's not safe to have them in areas where heavy work is being done.
That would be a big obstacle to get around, especially because of the huge potential liability if a white collar professional were to trip over a handjack or an a frame or slip on those slick pools of loading dock slime that stain the floors of every office building loading dock in this city (no matter how clean the white collar part of the building is)
And, BTW loading docks are filthy disgusting places - I only pass through them because I'm a carpenter, and the higher end buildings don't let construction workers ride up in the passenger elevators.
So, white collar folks, you really don't want to come back into our world - because you might get accidentally hurt (plus, you'd be in the way of us servicing your building and the delivery people bringing you all the supplies you need to do your jobs)
And before you snark, I will link back to my comment in six months when the first multimillion dollar suit is filed. Have already stored the link.
If they have freight elevators and *if* they have room? Are you kidding me? Every office will basically say they don't have room. Talk about toothless.
of course everyone voted for it...I am surprised there was one "nay". Talk about a safe vote, get to say you were for it, yet it will never actually work.
bah
dimes
There are more bicycle-friendly companies in NYC than you think. My employer wouldn't object to my bike in the corner of my office. I have two friends who would say the same thing.
Why would people be "tripping over bikes in commercial building hallways"? Sounds like the commenters here are more interested in creating objections than company execs are. Frankly, if your security is so bad that someone can walk right out with a bike, there are plenty of other things that I would worry about people stealing, like laptops, purses, smartphones, and plenty of other items that are easier to conceal.
I am all for it....used to ride to work when I worked at a small company. But right now I am at a large corporation and they can't find enough space for desks much less give "perceived" space for bikes.
I guess what I am saying is it is written with some really automatic outs for companies. I just don't see it changing much as stated.
dimes
If a company is against it, I think you're right; however, I've worked at several places where the company was for it, (or at least open to it given enough employee demand) but where the building wouldn't allow it. This bill does seem to address the latter issue. (As someone who manages our building relations, I'm often bumping up against 'building rules' for why my company can't do something.)
People still have jobs in this town?
We are so short of space in my building that there really isn't room for bikes.
I wish the MTA would install bike racks on buses like they have in San Francisco. It is such a great convenience and doesn't slow the buses - takes less than 30 seconds of get your bike in or out. I think people would bike more if they were able to take a bus to bypass dangerous streets.
Like our buses aren't slow enough? Now we need people sticking their bikes on racks and having to get them off? It kind of negates the whole "bike to work" thing doesn't it?
In case you didn't notice, San Francisco is a much smaller city than New York is.
On a longer route (and my route, the M 101, is 9 and a half miles from end to end) those delays really add up.
Bottom line, why should my commute be delayed so one or two bike people can strap their bikes to the front of the bus?
You wanted to commute to work on a bike - get to pedaling!
They have them in Philadelphia too, people who ride bikes regularly know how to get them on and off the racks in no time flat, it really doesn't slow things down at all. Of course we really shouldn't be looking to Philadelphia for transit advice, Septa is a disorganized mess, infinitely worse than the MTA.
Jules, try 6th ave in the mornings. It's rather thunderdome-esque. whitecastlerock, good one!
That said, I agree with Bort... Tens of Thousands of commuters? really? most people don't commute by bike because they're lazy fat-asses, they just use things like not being able to safely park their bike as an excuse to glaze over this fact.
To all those thinking that a building has an "automatic" out, building managers do NOT get to self-certify. I believe the bill will require the city to inspect the claim that space, in fact, is not available. And then that building has to provide for nearby indoor, secure parking at a garage no more than 750 feet away.
And oh, please about liability and space concerns -- if an office is such a rat warren of people stuffed on top of each other, you have more problems with regulations than sticking a bike in the corner -- this is a reasonable bill that fights against unreasonable behavior by some building owners. If my building allows asshole fatcats to illegally park their cars in the fire exit courtyard where I work, they can make space for my bike.
i love the bill but my boss would never allow a bike in the office. it's a shame.
Trilby, I take it you are an MTA employee of some sort? :)
I know I've read about experienced bicyclers getting killed so what chance would I have? The whole idea scares me to death. Not worth the risk. I would do it in Amsterdam, say, where the culture, the streets, the drivers, seem better and safer somehow, but in NY? No. Uh-uh.
I agree with you and #1 completely. I just don't trust drivers here, period.
You're both pussies.
Also, imagine the joy of the guys who run building freight elevators, having to take take time out their busy day to take YOU and your bike and everyone else and their bikes up and down every day.
I used to work in a building in midtown (one that's home to a good number of big companies) and they told me this was the main reason they didn't allow bikes in the building - someone would have to run the freight elevator during off-hours. (For example, if someone comes in at 6am for work or stays until 8pm. The freight elevator was only open until 5pm or 6pm.) I was also told there was a risk of damage to the elevator from bikes. I can see where there will be a lot of resistance.
I worked in a major building downtown that had no trouble accommodating me and my bike on the freight elevator. Sometimes I had to wait a few minutes until the operator had a load to take up, but I never had any difficulties. My employer (the City!) was very cool about me taking my bike into my cubicle or office (I worked in both during my years there). This was not a City-owned building - actually it was a first class, landmarked building of just the sort you would think would object to bikes - though I also took my bike up the passenger elevator in one the City owned.
To all the doubters, one of the things that this bill would do would be to provide cover to building owners - they can say "The City is making me do it so I have to." Liability will not be an issue, as insurers would have no choice but to continue their policies since every building is in the same position.
Now, if only my employers could provide showers....
I got news for you: if you work for the city, or any government agency, chances are, there are showers in your building...but you can't use them and they don't want you to know about them.
Those freight elevators are work elevators - so the office cleaners can come and clean up after you, so the stationary engineers can come up to service the heating and air conditioning system, so construction workers renovating or altering your building can get back and forth from the street to the working floor and can bring up tools and materials, so UPS, FedEx, DHL, the postal service and the messengers can bring you your mail and packages ect.
Bike people tying them up delays all those important things from happening - things that you don't think about, but which are necessary for your building to function.
Here's an idea, save the biking stuff for after work recreation, and take the subway or the bus to work like a normal person!