Well this was bound to happen. Disgruntled residents of a co-op at 99 Bank Street filed a lawsuit against the city and Department of Transportation over the placement of bike share racks on their street. DNAinfo reports that the property owners want a dock for 31 Citi Bikes to be removed from the corner of Bank and Hudson Streets. It was installed in the parking lane on the north side of Bank Street across from the Bleecker Street playground. The lawsuit argues that the bike station "severely endangers the health and safety of the residents of 99 Bank Street" and that its placement violates a city rule that says no street furniture should be placed opposite a building entrance.
This is not the first sign of opposition to the bike share. The installation of docking stations and other equipment has brought out nimbys in just about every neighborhood. A Tribeca restaurant owner almost got arrested for hosting a one-man protest. A tipster bemoaned the location of racks outside NYU, noting how crowded the sidewalk already is. In Fort Greene, neighbors defaced stations with posters that say, "Citibank, residential landmark blocks are not for advertising or commercial activity!" And those are just the complaints that have been reported. Maybe in a couple years, when we're all zipping around on the shiny blue bikes as happy as the Dutch, we'll look back on this nimby nonsense and laugh.
· Village Co-op Owners Sue to Stop Bike Share Installation [DNAinfo]
· Citi Bike coverage [Curbed]
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