CityRacks Program Surges

This spring, New Yorkers looking for a spot to lock their bikes outside will have 1,400 new rack options. The DOT’s CityRacks program, which installs free racks in all five boroughs, will soon start on its next round of bike rack installations. CityRacks installed New York’s last round of new bike racks in the summer of 2002; the program put in about 200 new, super-tough “Chicago” racks. By the end of 2004, New York will have 3,400 racks in place.

CityRacks has had to overcome numerous problems since its launch in 1997, especially the City’s cumbersome contracting system. As a result, New York City’s lags badly behind Chicago, which has 8,000 bike racks.
The latest obstacle facing CiyRacks is the DOT’s new practice of allowing some Community Boards to veto rack locations. In these areas, racks now face a double standard that other street furniture, like parking meters and light and sign posts, do not.

To request a rack, call 311 or visit www.transalt.org/cityracks.

Read the latest news on outdoor bicycle parking.