Reader mailbag: Is it legal to park next to a docking station before the Citi Bikes arrive?

This weekend, several readers sent us photos of vehicles parked next to the new docking station on East Sixth Street at Avenue B...


[EVG reader Mark]


[Dave on 7th]


[EVG reader John]

The actual Citi Bikes will likely arrive on or just before the expected May 27 launch date... Once the bikes arrive, parking next to a docking station won't be possible. (Well, we'll see.)

Anyway, a reader, who wanted to be clear that he wasn't complaining about Citi Bikes, simply asked if it is legal to park next to an unoccupied docking station. Because he has a car, temporarily, and it can be tough to find a place to park around here. (And why would he have a car? To make it easier to visit his mother who's in a nursing home in a place not convenient to public transportation.)

There aren't street signs pointing to any offense by parking next to the docking station ... Along here, there's just the alternate side parking sign ...



Anyone know? Is this a parking offense that deserves a ticket?

Noted

East Fifth Street at Avenue C. Will it be a long hot summer for the docking stations?

Photo by Bobby Lebrini

First Citi Bikes docking station casualty*

An EVG reader noted early last evening that someone (or something) broke/smashed (accidentally or otherwise) the glass on the Citi Bikes docking station that arrived a day earlier on East Sixth Street at Avenue B...



A worker in an unmarked van was on the scene replacing what needed to be, uh, replaced, per the reader.

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* As far as we know. We heard that a truck ran into a docking station on East 11th Street, but never saw any photographic evidence to support this claim.

Citi Bikes docking station arrives this morning on East 14th Street and Stuy Town

EVG reader Brett notes that the docking stations arrived this morning around 10...



... here on East 14th Street... just east of Avenue B and adjacent to Stuy Town...



Bike docking stations also arrived this morning on East Sixth Street ... on the south side of the street near Avenue B...


[Photo by Sally Davies]

Citi Bikes docking stations Week in Grieview

[St. Mark's Place]

The Citi Bikes docking stations arrived in the neighborhood this past week, as you probably noticed... We did.

Our 12 posts on the topic fielded 277 comments, covering everything from the Fall of Rome, Nazi Germany, 9/11 and the Mayan Apocalypse.

These two had the most comments:

Reader mailbag: Have you read the Citi Bikes Rental Agreement? (49 comments)

And!

Here's another docking station for St. Mark's Place (49 comments)

Any thoughts on why this is such a divisive topic?

Reader mailbag: Have you read the Citi Bikes Rental Agreement?

[Via @danielleintheev]

An email from a reader. First, he is all (mostly!) for the bike-share program and is planning to purchase an annual pass.

Disclaimer: "I hate Citibank and it's super gross to be advertising for them."

But! "...the utility of it is really fantastic."

So. The reader was reading through the Rental Agreement that you have to agree to for the membership.

"There are a couple of things there that are pretty weird to me. First of all — and I was expecting this — they've thought of the fact that people are probably going to want to cover up the Citibank logos with something else, either to avoid being a tool to advertise Citibank or advertise something of their own."

Makes sense!

"Section 5 Prohibited Acts."

You must not dismantle, write on, or otherwise modify or deface a Citi Bike bicycle or any part of a Citi Bike bicycle in any way. You must not write on, peel, or otherwise modify or deface any sticker on a Citi Bike bicycle in any way. You must not use a Citi Bike bicycle for any advertising or similar commercial purpose. This rule does not apply to the use of the seat height adjustment feature on Citi Bike bicycles."

Reader: "Now I don't know if that prohibits my idea of using some non-destructive floppy magnet material to just cover up the logos while I'm riding, but it sounds like it could. Maybe I'm just being paranoid."

And!

"Section 21 Waivers."
...
For good and valuable consideration, the receipt and adequacy of which are hereby acknowledged, You do hereby knowingly, voluntarily, and irrevocably: (1) give Your full and unconditional consent to NYCBS and its affiliates, successors, and assigns to use at any time and from time to time, without any restriction, Your appearance and voice in photographs, videos, and other recordings, on all websites and for all press, promotional, advertising, publicity, and other commercial purposes, including all formats and media, whether now known or hereafter devised, throughout the world and in perpetuity; (2) grant to NYCBS and its affiliates, successors, and assigns (a) the right to photograph, videotape, and otherwise record Your appearance and voice, at any time and from time to time, (b) all rights, copyrights, title, and interests in the results of such photographs, videos, and other recordings, as a work for hire for copyright purposes, and (c) the right to use, reproduce, exhibit, distribute, transmit, alter, and exploit, at any time and from time to time and as NYCBS may decide in its sole discretion, the photographs, videos, and other recordings, or any component thereof, and all related merchandising, promotions, advertising, and publicity; and (3) waive, release, and discharge all Released Persons from all Claims that You have or may have for any libel, defamation, invasion of privacy, right of publicity, infringement of copyright, or violation of any right granted by You in this paragraph."

"Is that even legal???"

Thoughts? Just legal mumbo-jumbo?

Citi Bikes docking station now alongside Tompkins Square Park on East 10th Street

[Photo via @TYJK]

Oops. Sorry. I originally wrote that this was inside the Park. Nevermind!

Seems like this is better spot for a docking station... alongside the Park on East 10th Street between Avenue A and Avenue B? And for people upset about these things taking up parking spots... not really an issue here.

Here's another Citi Bikes docking station for St. Mark's Place

This morning, Shawn Chittle spotted workers installing the Citi Bikes docking station on the north side of St. Mark's Place ... just east of Second Avenue...







Early Monday morning, workers installed the docking stations on the same side of St. Mark's closer to First Avenue.

Per Citi Bikes:

• North side of St. Mark's Place near Second Avenue
This station will have 39 docks and is located in a no-parking area of the street.

• North side of St. Mark's Place near First Avenue
This station will have 31 docks and is located in a no-parking area of the street.

So 70 docks total for the block. (Perhaps we can now call this stretch Citi Bikes Place?)

And if the FDNY seemed annoyed by one docking station on this block... wait until they see this...

[Updated] And here is the Citi Bikes docking station on East 13th Street at Avenue A

On the south side of the street just east of the Avenue... photos via EVG reader Gary.





Now just 49,764 Citi Bikes post remain for the week...

Updated 3:03

Final product, via @danielleintheev ...

Citi Bikes docking station arrives on East Seventh Street at Avenue A

Happening this afternoon...





At some point we'll recap how many have been dropped off. Find the map here showing the bike share locations.

And these photos are courtesy of Michael Sullivan, who along with his business partner Aaron Thorp, recently opened WINESHOP at 438 E. Ninth St. (Previously the brief home of Cigkoftem, the Turkish vegetarian fast-food chain...)

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...and another reader submitted shot from the corner... via Craig S.

Uh-oh — FDNY discovers the Citi Bikes docking stations

This afternoon at the new Citi Bikes docking station on St. Mark's Place just west of First Avenue... Per Jose Garcia: "The fire department just discovered that the new Citi Bikes are smack dab in the middle of the firelane. They seemed very unhappy."

Citi Share docking stations arrive on St. Mark's Place at 1 a.m., quickly tagged

EVG regular Stephen Popkin notes that the Citi Bikes docking stations arrived on the north side of St. Mark's Place between First Avenue and Second Avenue (in front of the former Holiday Cocktail Lounge) ... around 1 a.m. (Per Stephen's estimation, the installers were working quietly...)



Plans called for 31 docks here in a no-parking area of the street.

Updated:

Well, later, someone felt compelled to write RAMEN on the docking station...



...and another angle via Shawn Chittle...



Meanwhile! On East Fifth Street at Avenue C... EVG reader Mish noted that workers installed the docking station here around 11 p.m.



Per Mish: "We're already taxed as it is parking wise, and the street is a dead end. Really failing to see the logic in this choice of location. I'm not sure they realize how much of an adverse effect this is going to have on commuters in the neighborhood."

Breaking: Citi Bikes docking station arrives on East Ninth Street and Avenue C

They ... are... everywhere... now... can't keep ... up.. with ... all ... the ... docking.. stations... arriving...

Thanks to to EVG reader Greg for this shot.

Updated:

Ah! Per @TYJK, the docking station is now parked on the north side of East Ninth Street... across from 9th Street Espresso...



And whatever happened to the bike guy here...? Also! Probably would have still been room for the Mystery Camper...

Updated:



Another shot of the final product via Bobby Williams...

[Updated] Here is your East Fourth Street Citi Bikes docking station

Dropped in fresh this afternoon on the south side of the street ... just a little west of Second Avenue, as these photos by EVG reader John Iz show...







Who's next?

Updated:

Derek Berg passed along a few more photos from East Fourth Street...

[Updated] Making way for the Citi Bikes docking station on East Second Street

The docking stations for the Citi Bikes bike share continue to pop up around the neighborhood... We've heard a few stories where cars were towed from areas where the docking stations were going in — despite the lack of warning via No Parking signs. (Gothamist has more about this here.)

These signs are up on East Second Street just east of Avenue, as EVG reader Mark White points out...

Per Mark, the signs are "taped facing straight out to the street, not at an angle for drivers POV. As you can see, they are not easy to spot and on a congested block where where is never any parking as it is, I'm sure they will be angrily torn down in no time."





And the Citi Bikes drama continues...

Updated 1:01 p.m.

As predicted, Mark notes that someone ripped off part of the No Parking notice ...

[Updated] Looking at the Astor Place Citi Bikes docking station

... that arrived Tuesday... Via an EV Grieve Vine...





I recommend muting this... and don't stare at it for too long... ... I removed the Vine ... and replaced it with photos...

Citi Bike docking station magically arrives overnight on E. 2nd. St.

Ah! @BennyPack reports that a Citi Bikes docking station was there waiting this morning on the southeast corner of Avenue C and Second Street. Anyone else wake up to a docking station in front of their building or street?