DOT Says Inwood Bike Shelter Didn’t Get Enough Use

IMGP4346.jpgImpromptu bike parking on Dyckman Street after the de-installation of a bike shelter, which for a year stood on the fresh patch of concrete in the background. Photo: Brad Aaron

A brief follow-up to our earlier story on Inwood’s disappearing Dyckman Street bike shelter. According to DOT, while it was located near a bike shop (two, actually, though one now appears to be closed) as well as the Dyckman A train station, the shelter was not widely used, and was removed as DOT looks for another site in the area.

Anecdotal evidence suggests the shelter was popular among local and visiting cyclists — and we referred before to the symbolic significance of the Dyckman site. But, assuming it will in fact be installed elsewhere in the neighborhood, what locations might be better?

  • BicyclesOnly

    I can’t believe that DoT actually monitors utilization of its parking facilities. They must have been going on advice from the “community.”

  • Maybe it didn’t get enough use because it didn’t provide enough shelter.

  • It should be possible to park a bike anyplace where you can park a car. Ten percent of the city’s car parking should immediately be rededicated to bike parking. On streets with bike lanes, make that 25 percent.

  • Jeff

    Repurposing 10% of the public space currently used to store private automobiles would be more than enough space to store all of the bicycles in North America. This suggestion undermines one of the major advantages of a bicycle, the fact that the size of the vehicle is respectful of the limited urban space which we as citizens are expected to share with one another. The space should be repurposed to serve the public good, in addition to some amount of bicycle parking.

    However, if we’re going to continue dedicating the curb-side space to the storage of personal property, then I do have a lot of tools, lumber, old furniture, etc. that is really starting to take up too much room in my apartment. However, in order for this to be socially acceptable, it would seem that I have to find a way for my extraneous personal possessions to make inane honking noises, and contribute to the death of over a million human beings worldwide per year. THEN would I be allowed to store my personal possessions next to the curb?

  • Jeff, at my job I have an RV in rather poor shape that I could sell you at a nominal cost for storing your tools, lumber and old furniture. The horn works fine but you don’t have to use it. Let me know if you’re interested.

    Even if you’re not, I really like what you said above about limited urban space.

  • How much did it cost to remove it, store it, and then reinstall it elsewhere? Couldnt that money have been used to place many more simple bike racks elsewhere?

  • Thank you for the follow up Brad. Assuming it is reinstalled in northern Manhattan and that is a big if in my opinion, perhaps it can be installed near an entrance to Fort Tryon Park, Inwood Hill Park or another park, as we have so many up here.

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