Ben Fried

Happy Bike to Work Day, everyone. How about this sunshine?

Thanks to everyone who's given to Streetsblog and Streetfilms so far in our spring pledge drive -- we're nearly a quarter of the way to our fundraising goal of $40,000. I can't emphasize enough how crucial it is for readers to chip in and help us reach our targets. Your contributions keep us going so we can deliver news and commentary about the transition to safer city streets that work for people, not cars. So keep those donations coming!

The wisdom in Matt Flegenheimer's bike-share NIMBY opus comes across nicely in the kicker:

It's official. America's largest public bike system will launch Monday, May 27, DOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan announced at a City Council transportation committee hearing this morning. According to the Citi Bike twitter feed, the first week of service will be available for annual members only, then on June 2 weekly and daily passes will go on sale. (Here's a look at the initial system map and the pricing structure, if you need a refresher.)

On Fox 5's Good Day program with Rosanna Scotto and Greg Kelly (son of Ray) this morning, Streetsblog columnist Steve Vaccaro skillfully, smoothly debated Jeffrey Barr, the lawyer representing Manhattan's anti-bike-share NIMBYs. Steve's performance speaks for itself. All I have to say is, put this man on TV more.

Setting aside the sheer entitlement it must take to sue the city over a public amenity installed on the public right of way, let's just appreciate the irony of the complaints coming from anti-bike-share litigants.

There is nothing exceptional or interesting about the sight of cars parked in front of a New York City residence. But I'm running this dull photo anyway, because this is basically the same condition that has irritated some residents in downtown Manhattan neighborhoods about bike-share. Instead of cars going in between the traffic lane and the sidewalk in front of their building, it's a public bike station, and for some people -- specifically, the residents of 99 Bank Street -- the transition was so jarring they felt compelled to litigate.

With NYC's bike-share system in the delicate period where new stations are going in but people can't yet use the bikes, the city's press corps is gorging on stories about conflict. The reporters at the Post and CBS2 better enjoy it while it lasts, because once people get used to seeing bike-share in action, these stations are going to be about as newsworthy as bus shelters.

Here we are with a few weeks to go before bike-share launches in NYC, and the volume of nonsense floating around is staggering. The tabloids think public bikes are a menace to life on Earth, and the respectable press barely has a better grip on reality. Thank goodness there’s Streetsblog, right?

Over the weekend, @KyleGiunta posted this tantalizing photo of a Citi Bike station with bikes in it on Front Street in DUMBO. The bikes were docked for a photo shoot, not the imminent launch of the system (installations have reached as far up as the NYU area, the last we checked -- still a lot more to go before they get to 59th Street), but this is the closest thing we've seen to the final look and feel of the stations. Note the angled docks, which come in handy when street width is scarce.