Comments on: Bicycle Access Bill Clears City Council Transpo Committee http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/07/28/bicycle-access-bill-clears-city-council-transpo-committee/ Covering the New York City Streets Renaissance Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:07:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Tony http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/07/28/bicycle-access-bill-clears-city-council-transpo-committee/comment-page-1/#comment-90751 Tony Wed, 29 Jul 2009 22:59:24 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=18181#comment-90751 I'm so glad my anecdotal carfree story of the day is also timely. I went to the post office this afternoon, and since there are no bike racks outside, I rolled my loaner bike into the lobby. My bike was stolen over the weekend and a very kind friend is letting me borrow his until I get a new one. No sooner did my front wheel cross the doorway and a customer service representative shouts across the lobby "you can't bring your bike in here!"I leaned the bike against the window in plain view and went on with my business. When I got up to the counter I asked the employee "Just for my own education, why can't we bring bikes inside?" I was not familiar with the 'no bike' rule. The postal worker stumbled a bit and then managed to come up with "it's a safety issue. Someone could trip." "On a bike?? And you can't trip on a stroller??" I shot back. The reason why shocked me. In fact, it seemed downright stupid. I understand there's a huge difference between me and a baby in stroller, or a person in a wheelchair, but can someone tell me what I'm missing?? I applaud New York city for hitting the mark and once again setting the standard for what's hip and cool for the rest of the country. I’m so glad my anecdotal carfree story of the day is also timely.
I went to the post office this afternoon, and since there are no bike racks outside, I rolled my loaner bike into the lobby. My bike was stolen over the weekend and a very kind friend is letting me borrow his until I get a new one.
No sooner did my front wheel cross the doorway and a customer service representative shouts across the lobby “you can’t bring your bike in here!”I leaned the bike against the window in plain view and went on with my business.
When I got up to the counter I asked the employee “Just for my own education, why can’t we bring bikes inside?” I was not familiar with the ‘no bike’ rule.
The postal worker stumbled a bit and then managed to come up with “it’s a safety issue. Someone could trip.”
“On a bike?? And you can’t trip on a stroller??” I shot back. The reason why shocked me. In fact, it seemed downright stupid.
I understand there’s a huge difference between me and a baby in stroller, or a person in a wheelchair, but can someone tell me what I’m missing??
I applaud New York city for hitting the mark and once again setting the standard for what’s hip and cool for the rest of the country.

]]> By: rah http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/07/28/bicycle-access-bill-clears-city-council-transpo-committee/comment-page-1/#comment-90501 rah Wed, 29 Jul 2009 18:54:27 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=18181#comment-90501 Yeah, does anyone have suggestions for lobbying your company/manager to allow bikes into the office? There is a bunch of unused, out-of-the way space where I work, but I was told that I can't bring my bike into the office. Yeah, does anyone have suggestions for lobbying your company/manager to allow bikes into the office? There is a bunch of unused, out-of-the way space where I work, but I was told that I can’t bring my bike into the office.

]]> By: D http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/07/28/bicycle-access-bill-clears-city-council-transpo-committee/comment-page-1/#comment-90171 D Wed, 29 Jul 2009 14:58:17 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=18181#comment-90171 Brining a bike to work will still be a problem for many of us. The problem for me is even if the building allows bikes my boss won't allow one in the office. Brining a bike to work will still be a problem for many of us.
The problem for me is even if the building allows bikes my boss won’t allow one in the office.

]]> By: gecko http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/07/28/bicycle-access-bill-clears-city-council-transpo-committee/comment-page-1/#comment-90121 gecko Wed, 29 Jul 2009 13:58:02 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=18181#comment-90121 This bill give people permission to do the right thing. Really nice. This bill give people permission to do the right thing. Really nice.

]]> By: gecko http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/07/28/bicycle-access-bill-clears-city-council-transpo-committee/comment-page-1/#comment-90111 gecko Wed, 29 Jul 2009 13:56:10 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=18181#comment-90111 #1 paco, ". . . and now I can almost taste Car-Free Parks . . ." Car-Free Parks is nothing compared to this. Of course, they would be great also. #1 paco, “. . . and now I can almost taste Car-Free Parks . . .”

Car-Free Parks is nothing compared to this. Of course, they would be great also.

]]> By: Scott http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/07/28/bicycle-access-bill-clears-city-council-transpo-committee/comment-page-1/#comment-90091 Scott Wed, 29 Jul 2009 12:51:20 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=18181#comment-90091 Does anyone have an idea what the actual process entails? Is there a city office that will be handling requests/reviews for individual buildings? Does anyone have an idea what the actual process entails? Is there a city office that will be handling requests/reviews for individual buildings?

]]> By: Gwin http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/07/28/bicycle-access-bill-clears-city-council-transpo-committee/comment-page-1/#comment-89851 Gwin Tue, 28 Jul 2009 22:47:35 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=18181#comment-89851 Does this mean that buildings with freight elevators will have to let people take bikes into their offices, or that they will have to provide indoor bike parking...? Does this mean that buildings with freight elevators will have to let people take bikes into their offices, or that they will have to provide indoor bike parking…?

]]> By: BicyclesOnly http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/07/28/bicycle-access-bill-clears-city-council-transpo-committee/comment-page-1/#comment-89841 BicyclesOnly Tue, 28 Jul 2009 22:42:54 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=18181#comment-89841 SL Green, look out! SL Green, look out!

]]> By: Peter G http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/07/28/bicycle-access-bill-clears-city-council-transpo-committee/comment-page-1/#comment-89801 Peter G Tue, 28 Jul 2009 21:55:31 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=18181#comment-89801 Paco said it best in relation to passenger elevators. To be clear, however, the bill does not affirmatively prohibit access and egress via a passenger elevator if a building wants to allow it; rather, it just remains silent on the issue and deals with freight elevators instead. Paco said it best in relation to passenger elevators. To be clear, however, the bill does not affirmatively prohibit access and egress via a passenger elevator if a building wants to allow it; rather, it just remains silent on the issue and deals with freight elevators instead.

]]> By: Lara http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/07/28/bicycle-access-bill-clears-city-council-transpo-committee/comment-page-1/#comment-89771 Lara Tue, 28 Jul 2009 21:09:58 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=18181#comment-89771 Congratulations, Transportation Alternatives and team. This is a great step forward. :) Congratulations, Transportation Alternatives and team. This is a great step forward. :)

]]> By: Cap'n Transit http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/07/28/bicycle-access-bill-clears-city-council-transpo-committee/comment-page-1/#comment-89761 Cap'n Transit Tue, 28 Jul 2009 21:06:38 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=18181#comment-89761 What about buildings with <b>no</b> elevator? Or buildings where the cyclist works on the ground floor? What about buildings with no elevator? Or buildings where the cyclist works on the ground floor?

]]> By: ddartley http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/07/28/bicycle-access-bill-clears-city-council-transpo-committee/comment-page-1/#comment-89721 ddartley Tue, 28 Jul 2009 20:43:22 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=18181#comment-89721 I may have simply missed it, but was there anything interesting that came out of John Liu's "let me explain why I sat on the bill" meeting that he invited cyclists to attend? I may have simply missed it, but was there anything interesting that came out of John Liu’s “let me explain why I sat on the bill” meeting that he invited cyclists to attend?

]]> By: Seth http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/07/28/bicycle-access-bill-clears-city-council-transpo-committee/comment-page-1/#comment-89681 Seth Tue, 28 Jul 2009 20:16:06 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=18181#comment-89681 This is great news! Thank you Trans Alt for your persistence and for everyone else helping move this forward This is great news! Thank you Trans Alt for your persistence and for everyone else helping move this forward

]]> By: paco http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/07/28/bicycle-access-bill-clears-city-council-transpo-committee/comment-page-1/#comment-89671 paco Tue, 28 Jul 2009 19:17:18 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=18181#comment-89671 baby steps Josef, baby steps. First we get the freights... then we get the passenger elevators. baby steps Josef, baby steps. First we get the freights… then we get the passenger elevators.

]]> By: Ben Fried http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/07/28/bicycle-access-bill-clears-city-council-transpo-committee/comment-page-1/#comment-89661 Ben Fried Tue, 28 Jul 2009 19:12:27 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=18181#comment-89661 Yes, buildings without a freight elevator have a blanket exemption. That was <a href="http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/06/15/john-liu-on-bicycle-access-bill-why-is-dot-involved-in-bike-commuting/" rel="nofollow">a significant compromise</a> -- the biggest one made during this campaign, I believe. Yes, buildings without a freight elevator have a blanket exemption. That was a significant compromise — the biggest one made during this campaign, I believe.

]]> By: Josef http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/07/28/bicycle-access-bill-clears-city-council-transpo-committee/comment-page-1/#comment-89651 Josef Tue, 28 Jul 2009 19:06:26 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=18181#comment-89651 I cannot wait to personally invoke this bill wherever possible. Question: are buildings with no freight elevator exempt? I cannot wait to personally invoke this bill wherever possible. Question: are buildings with no freight elevator exempt?

]]> By: paco http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/07/28/bicycle-access-bill-clears-city-council-transpo-committee/comment-page-1/#comment-89641 paco Tue, 28 Jul 2009 19:01:49 +0000 http://www.streetsblog.org/?p=18181#comment-89641 Sure, everyone that signed an e-fax deserves a pat on the back, but the biggest kudos goes to Transportation Alternatives. I don't deny there were dozens of other major players in the mix of this great news, but it has all been under the guidance of TA and their dedicated efforts. Baby steps over many years - that's how things get done and stay done. If it had happened overnight years aho, there would have been uproar and it'd be taken away just as quickly. TA persevered and made it happen.. and now I can almost taste Car-Free Parks in our city's future. Thank you Transportation Alternatives. Sure, everyone that signed an e-fax deserves a pat on the back, but the biggest kudos goes to Transportation Alternatives. I don’t deny there were dozens of other major players in the mix of this great news, but it has all been under the guidance of TA and their dedicated efforts. Baby steps over many years – that’s how things get done and stay done. If it had happened overnight years aho, there would have been uproar and it’d be taken away just as quickly. TA persevered and made it happen.. and now I can almost taste Car-Free Parks in our city’s future. Thank you Transportation Alternatives.

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