NYC DOT seeks vendors for secure bike parking facilities

NYC bikers could soon have more secure and affordable locations to park their bicycles, Streetsblog NYC reports. In November, the city’s Department of Transportation (DOT) put out a Request for Proposals (RFP) to build three bike parking structures at different places in the city.

These structures will fit 29 bikes each, and will be initially launched as part of a pilot program to measure its success. The three locations the city has identified are: University Place near Union Square, at the intersection of Broadway and 42nd Street in Times Square, and at the Myrtle-Wyckoff Plaza in Ridgewood.

The DOT is currently looking for vendors to operate these bike parking stations, according to Streetsblog, and ask that the parking fees be low or nominal. At present, the requirement is only to have the station staffed for 12 hours from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., so it’s not yet clear how they will operate after hours.

It’s not that bike riders don’t have options; city law requires that parking garages offer spots for bikes, but costs on those can often run very high. Parking your bike outdoors can sometimes be security risk, so the DOT is looking to resolve some of those concerns with these new indoor bike stations.

• DOT Will Try Out a New Way to Provide Secure Bike Parking [SB]