This is happening outside the historic cemetery founded in 1831, and located at 52-74 E. Second St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue.
Perhaps the Cemetery organizers requested a docking station ... make it easier for people to visit during its Neighborhood Open Days... but nothing like a docking station to ruin a view.
Photo by EVG contributor James Maher
Updated 1:30 p.m.
A few readers believe this is temporary... because construction has temporarily displaced the docking station on Second Avenue and Second Street...
Updated 7/9
Cemetery officials did NOT request the docking station... They did not even receive any notice of the docking station's arrival. I'll do a separate post on this...
49 comments:
Wow. That is odd.
speaking as a resident of east 3rd street, this is awesome -- the 2nd avenue East 3rd street bike rack is always empty on weekday mornings and then, on weekends, absolutely full, and I always walk by frustrated bikers busily checking their phones looking for a docking station nearby that has space.
SHITIBIKE!
Life, death, a never ending cycle.
Really? Couldn't put it a block or two over huh?
stupid
Excellent! I might visit more often now.
Seriously?
Grotesque. Defacing one of the rare bluestone sidewalks and few blocks without sidewalk congestion.
I was under the impression they moved it while there was construction being done up on 2nd ave.
The bike racks shouldn't be on the streets. Instead put them in parks (like Tompkins) and larger areas on sidewalks. Better yet, get rid of them. They are a travesty.
And while we're on the subject of bikes, bike lanes should be outside of the area where cars are parked, i.e., not between the cars and curbs, but on the side of cars adjacent to car traffic.
As I've said repeatedly...There is no one representing us. Where are our elected officials? Where is Community Board 3?
Well, those residents aren't going to complain, are they?
Anonymous 1:17 -- There are only 18 Citibike stations in the East Village. It would make no sense to put them all in the park. It would defeat the purpose of bike sharing, let alone take up all the space in the park.
It's not like these bike stations are bars beside churches. I guarantee no one here has an ancestor buried in that cemetery. Besides, once you're inside it, you don't see the Citibike station.
Won't this get in the way of the sticky pools of semi-dried urine?
Whether temporary or not, this is disgusting. I heard on the news where the next grouping of Citibikes is going to be placed - guess which outer borough or place with lots of people of color they've chosen next? Madison Avenue in the 60s and 70. Way to expand your demographic, tools.
Serious question to people who are so against this: you'd rather this space continue to be parking for cars? Why?
Yeah, uglifying a nice sidewalk and taking away from a the beauty of a historic cemetary is awesome - welcome to 2016 NYC land of the asshole who can't live without Citibike as well as Starbucks, Chipotle, Best Buy, and (your go to "pharmacy".)
Those poor hipsters and millenials too cheap to buy a bike can't find a Citibike awwwwww.
Spare me "I have no room for a bike" - bullshit. Bike wallracks and make room, try it sometime.
dead people think: there goes the neighborhood!
I don't think there's anything wrong with this.
Yes Ted, some EV residents have cars and benefit from the street parking compared to $500/month for a garage. The citibikes, whose docking stations blight beautiful new york streetscapes, are used mostly by young professional commuters who are likely leave the city in a few years. Whereas parking for long term residents, who have made the EV their home, is getting tighter and tighter.
Sometimes I think about responding to some of the loony comments I read here, and then I think "Nah".
Michael, I have a car, am a "long term resident," etc. I understand that people need parking. However, citibike racks take up room for about 2 or 3 cars (which are used by 2 or 3 people) but can hold dozens of bikes (which can be used for hundreds of people). And while I don't like the ads all over the bikes, a row of bikes doesn't seem to cause more "blight" than a row of cars.
But I do understand that I'm in the overwhelming minority of EV Grieve readers who think the citibikes (and biking in general) are good idea.
Sometimes I think about responding to some of the loony comments I read here, and then I think "Nah".
Wish I had read 2:44's astute comment before the one that said "There are only 18 Citibike stations in the East Village."
Michael,
Rich people with cars (and if you have a car in the EV and don't live in it, you certainly aren't poor) complaining about a bikeshare program is perfect 2016 NYC.
Using up public space for their private cars and then complaining about a more efficient and safer mode of transportation. Glorious.
Don't just lie there lazy bones!
Cars blight beautiful new york streetscapes.
@Ted Roden: You have a very strange sense of what constitutes visual "blight" IMO.
As to placement of bike docking stations, how about right in front of Grace Church, or St. Patrick's Cathedral, or (most fittingly) directly in front of Bloomberg's double townhouse on E. 79th St.? Because if those docking stations *aren't* a blight, then they'll fit in nicely ANYWHERE, having no visual impact at all.
But of course, bikes will only be available one Saturday and one Sunday per month!
5:15 PM: My point is that a row of cars is just as ugly as a row of bikes, but are useful to fewer people.
Fitting, since Citibikers are a bunch of zombies or walking dead or more like biking dead.
Cars can fit ip to 5 people. Moreover, they can transport rhe disabled and eldery. Saying a car are used by only one person is very narrow and dense, whuch exemplifies the mentality of a Citibiker.
Anonymous 6:07, Cars *can* fit up to 5 people, but rarely do. This is why the HOV lanes are always relatively empty.
Gojira,
Last I read, Harlem residents are opposed to Citibikes.
Awww, only temporary. Too bad someone won't be going there now since she would only go to the Marble Cemetery if there was a CitiBike docking station. Citibike is for the young urban narcissists; everything must be spoon fed to them.
#yunnies #remeberthem #tbt
The majority of East Village residents do not own cars. 99% of private vehicles in the neighborhood are used by 1 person. Rich car owners store their cars in garages. Take away parking and put curbside bike lanes and bike corrals instead. Widen the sidewalks on 1st Av while you're at it.
Is Frankie Splits still hovering around?
Anonymous 11.38. I've seen several different Maseratis parked on the EV in the last year so I'm not sure that your comment is accurate.
Don't know how to drive (native New Yorker :) ) and not particularly fond of cars...but in NYC Citibikes (and the entire biking infrastructure generally) has mostly benefited the young and affluent. The explosion in costs of housing means that affluent people who live close to work have short commutes and can walk or bike. Similarly people with flexible or physically easy jobs (ie tech) may find it convenient to bike. Biking is now a feature of advertisements for luxury apartments. Citibike also popular with tourists.
But lower income people are pushed out farther and farther, with longer commutes. Not to mention lower wage physical jobs - the nursing home worker caring for our grandparents or staff working in buildings or low wage delivery workers are not likely to wish to bike home after a long shift on their feet. Some workers car pool, driving into Manhattan from the boroughs. And more generally many older or disabled people do depend on vehicles - rides from others, taxis, Access a Ride, etc.
While it is likely the "newer"/millennial residents of the EV do not have cars, they are BIG users of Uber. They can afford to do so. And inexplicably, they do not seem to have concerns about environmental impact of riding around in big SUVs. They are also big users of delivery - Amazon, Google etc - which generates traffic.
BTW the Citibike stands make it harder for sanitation workers to do pick-up. The curb is no longer clear (of cars) and workers cannot get close to curbs - so workers have to haul heavy trash bags over the Citibike station
Personally, I think it is wrong to locate Citibikes in front of the cemetery.
@7:26am: THANK YOU for your entire comment. I totally agree with everything you said.
Thank you, 7:26 AM, for articulating that.
@7:26 What a generalization. I'm not a millennial or rich. My husband has a car but I prefer to bike. I own my own bike but during the day, Citibike makes my life exponentially better and I don't have to worry about the resident bike thief on my street. Citibike is available for lower income NYCHA residents at more than 50% off the actual membership price. That's not a benefit for the low income? Citibike has its flaws but it's a much needed service and it works for a lot of people, not just the privileged white folk. Oh yeah, and uber has $5 commutes now during rush hour. Almost like taking the subway, not just for the richy riches.
Regarding Uber, certainly it offers convenience but there are also downsides IMO.
For example, when the cost goes down, it may lower the wages of drivers. Many (though not all) Uber drivers are doing this full-time and are supporting their families/households.
Also, when the costs of the ride is lower, people do take Uber in lieu of public transportation. That means more vehicles on the street - more congestion and pollution.
As troubled as NYC's transit (subway and bus) system is, it is still pretty amazing considering the usage, the old infrastructure and the historic lack of funding.
But it is important to consider that mass transit has been the equalizer in NYC for decades - used by people of all income levels and a collective/civic need.
To the extent that newer NYC residents do not use bus and subway, there is the possibility of less political support for the system. There is increasing income/social stratification in NYC and the danger of Civic-issues stratification as well.
Have people here gone over to look at this? I walked past there last night, not knowing it was there yet, and it doesn't look bad at all. The docks are barely higher than the wall behind them, and the color blends in almost perfectly. I really think this is all much ado about nothing.
I'm happy to see more citibikes. I'm sick of the endless stream of cars in our city and neighborhood, and that includes those that use our streets as their personal parking lot.
At this point, there is much more commercial vehicle traffic (delivery, construction, building service, tourist and Uber or taxi) than personal vehicles.
If we were really serious about reducing vehicles, we'd significantly reduce our use of delivery - Amazon, Fresh Direct, Google, Munchery etc.
And the number of Uber vehicles circulating in the EV, including side streets, is mind-boggling
If you don't like the endless stream of cars... then move to... Amsterdam!
re: Updated 7/9
Citibike is a bully, much like the CitiBikers.
Anonymous 7/9 11:55am -- Yeah, Citibikers are bullies. When you're a nail, everything looks like a hammer.
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