Streetsblog New York City

New York City is about to get a taste of what cutting-edge parking policy could look like over on Roosevelt Island. The island will soon be installing parking sensors under 29 spaces, local blogs Roosevelt Islander and Roosevelt Island 360 reported this week. By providing real-time data about what actually happens in those spaces, the sensors can help enforce parking laws, move toward smart and flexible curbside pricing, and prevent cruising and traffic congestion.

NYC DOT is sure to be watching Roosevelt Island’s progress. This September, the agency sent out a notice expressing interest in parking technology systems that include sensors.

The parking sensors on Roosevelt Island are made by the Streetline company, which supplied the 8,255 sensors that form the technological backbone of San Francisco’s innovative SFPark system (be sure to check out Streetsblog San Francisco’s coverage of the program here, here, and here).

The sensor uses a magnetometer to detect the presence of a vehicle, explained Streetline VP Ken Voss, as well as the moment when a car enters or leaves the space. “It also takes a magnetic signature of the vehicle and can detect if it’s the exact same vehicle that’s been sitting there,” he said. Finally, the sensors’ data can be linked with parking meters, revealing whether parkers are paying or not.

That kind of rigorous, real-time information is the key to making the most of on-street parking. If you want to price parking based on demand, for example, sensor data can provide the foundation for setting the right price block-by-block or hour-by-hour. If you want to accurately enforce time limits or make sure that parkers adhere to the time they paid for, real-time info can send enforcement officers directly to the scene of a violation. Or if you want to cut down on the miles of cruising drivers often resort to while searching for a parking space, sensors can direct them straight to an open spot.

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As cities across the United States open new bike-sharing systems this year, New York City's commitment to launching bike-share remains cloudy. On the semi-independent Roosevelt Island, however, momentum is building to launch a small bike-sharing system with or without the rest of New York.

Enthusiasm for bike-sharing was evident at a demo station set up by the company B-Cycle on the island yesterday afternoon. "We've had a bunch of people come by, use the bikes and test them out," said Erica Wilder of the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation, the island's governing body. "Everyone's been pretty favorable."

RIOC recorded reactions through surveys taken at the demo site. With only one station, yesterday's demo was really showing off the value of bike rentals. Enthusiasm may have been even higher if Roosevelt Islanders could experience the convenience of real bike sharing, hopping on a bike at the F Train, say, and then dropping it off at a station near their apartment. 

That's the ultimate vision for the program, said Wilder, who said that the goal is to install at least three stations on the two mile-long island.

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It seems the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation has altered its policy prohibiting overnight bike rack parking. In an effort to keep them clear of abandoned bikes, the RIOC previously announced that any bike found on the public racks by the subway and tram stations between 2 and 5 a.m. would be confiscated and, if not claimed within 48 hours, donated to the island thrift store.

Now, reports Roosevelt Islander, the RIOC is making allowances for late-night cyclists -- providing they let the agency know who they are ahead of time.

Roosevelt Island Public Safety Director [Keith] Guerra advises that bikes may be locked up at the tram and subway bike racks during the 2-5 AM hours but there has been no change in the policy that prohibits overnight storage of bikes on a regular basis. The intent of this policy is to allow late night commuters to use the bike racks, not to allow residents to use these bike racks as a permanent storage area as some have previously been doing. As of now, contact the Public Safety Department each day you plan on having your bicycle locked up at the Subway or Tram bike racks during the 2-5 AM hours and it will not be removed. If you need your bike locked up during these hours on a regular basis, advise the Public Safety Department of your situation. They will attempt to work out a solution.

Does this sound like a viable step to meet regular island cyclists halfway -- or is it, however well-intentioned, another obstacle to getting around by bike? We're especially interested in hearing from cyclists who have, or will be, "registering" with RIOC.

The Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation, as promised, has begun confiscating bikes left overnight on public bike racks near the subway and tram stations. Roosevelt Island 360 reports that 17 bikes were removed as of Wednesday, while three others were tagged with warning fliers (RIOC needed a "special tool," not immediately available, to remove locks from the tagged bikes).

An email exchange between RI 360 and the RIOC reveals that, as of yesterday, one bike had been claimed "without incident" from the island's Department of Public Safety, where confiscated bikes are to be held 48 hours before being donated to a thrift store. Wrote public safety director Keith Guerra:

We are noticing that many residents have removed their bikes on their own and there is now plenty of room for those that wish to use the bike racks.

Gotta hand it to those Roosevelt Island bureaucrats: They sure have a way with words.

Following up on last week's news from Roosevelt Island, where cyclists were informed that they would no longer be allowed to store bikes on public racks overnight, Roosevelt Island 360 reports that the warning signs are out.

According to an e-mail from Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation President Steve Shane, however, enforcement will not begin until next week. At that point, any bike found on a rack between 2 and 5 a.m. will be confiscated, says the RIOC, and owners will have 48 hours to claim them before they are donated to a thrift store.

Shane told Streetsblog that the RIOC only wants to stop the proliferation of abandoned bikes on the racks, and that alternative suggestions were welcome (Streetsbloggers offered several). But for now at least it looks like it's full steam ahead with the original mass confiscation plan.

Follow the jump for a close-up of the RIOC flier. RI 360 has asked for more prominent signage.

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Just in time for Bike to Work Day: Cyclists on Roosevelt Island were informed by the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation this week that bikes may no longer be parked on public racks overnight. Here's the vaguely Orwellian RIOC memo from yesterday, care of Roosevelt Island 360:

While we wish to encourage residents continuing to ride their bicycles as it is a healthy activity, we wish to discourage residents from storing their bicycles overnight on the bicycle racks throughout the island.

Bicycles will be removed by the Roosevelt Island Public Safety Department between the hours of 2:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. and stored at Public Safety for a period of 48 hours. If the owner retrieves their bicycle during the 48 hour period there will be no charge for storing their bicycle. If the owner does not retrieve their bicycle during the 48 hour period it will be donated to the Thrift Shop.

Storing the bicycles on the bike racks has been a quality of life issue for many residents, thus we wish to address this quality of life issue.

Thank you for your anticipated cooperation.

How using a bike rack for its intended purpose could offend one's quality of life sensibilities is an open question, and we have a call in to the RIOC for clarification. In the meantime, wonders one Roosevelt Island 360 reader:

Where else are we supposed to park our bikes over night? Is the RIOC going to offer us any alternative? Are we supposed to bring our bikes into our apartments now? How about we don't allow cars to park on the streets over night anymore?

Update: We got a call from RIOC President Steve Shane, who basically confirmed what Eric of Roosevelt Island 360 had to say. According to Shane, the new no-overnight parking rule is meant to keep racks clear of "rusty, abandoned bikes," and to make it easier for regular commuters and recreational cyclists to use them. Shane says the abundance of derelict bikes has caused an unwelcome "spillover," leading cyclists to chain up wherever they can. RIOC is still working on a permanent fix. "We are never finished looking at ideas," Shane said.