Say Program Shouldn’t Be Delayed
State Sen. Michael Gianaris and City Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer are calling on the Department of Transportation (DOT) to accelerate and expand Citibike, the city’s bike sharing program, in western Queens.
As cyclists throughout the city began signing up for the much-anticipated program this week, Van Bramer and Gianaris applauded the DOT for planning to put bike sharing stations in Long Island City as soon as September. The lawmakers also took this opportunity to urge Citibike to include the other notably bikefriendly neighborhoods of western Queens in future plans for expansion.
“I am proud to have worked with Department of Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan to bring Bike Share to Long Island City in Phase 1,” said Van Bramer. “This had not been part of the original plan but we were able to change the map to include western Queens. We are happy to announce that Bike Share will be in Long Island City by September but of course we hope it’ll be sooner. I join Senator Gianaris in calling for the program to be expanded to more neighborhoods in our western Queens districts.”
“Our community has worked for years to make western Queens more bike friendly, and our efforts have been largely successful. I am pleased to see that Long Island City is included in future plans, and I hope that the program will be quickly ex- panded to more western Queens neighborhoods,” said Gianaris.
Thanks to the work of community activists, the DOT, and local elected officials, western Queens has been the beneficiary of numerous bike-related improvements in recent years. Improved bike access to the Queensboro bridge and developments such as the Queens East River and North Shore Greenway have helped provide an alternative method of transportation to and from Manhattan and Brooklyn and have made the area a destination for leisurely bike rides along the East River.
“An active bike share presence would be the perfect way to build on recent developments that have helped make this area one of the most bikefriendly in the city,” Gianaris added. “I urge the DOT and Citibike to set a firm date for when all of western Queens will enjoy the benefits of bike sharing stations.”
Recycle-A-Bicycle, a community non-profit with an education center in Long Island City, echoed the sentiment. “Recycle-A-Bicycle is eager to see bike share come to all neighborhoods in NYC. Our mission is to continue training youth bike mechanics in Long Island City for job placement as well as teaching young people to ride bikes in a safe, fun, and healthy manner,” said Development Director Helen Ho. “Giving all New Yorkers an inexpensive mass transit option like bike share will be great for local bike businesses, healthy lifestyles and getting to your destination faster.”
Gianaris and Van Bramer said they are eager to continue working with the DOT, Citibike and community groups to bring Citibike to Long Island City as soon as possible and eventually to all neighborhoods in western Queens.
