Hate Your New Citi Bike Station? Here's What You Should Know

BROOKLYN, NY — Here's the short answer: If you don't like a Citi Bike station, you should lodge a formal complaint with Brooklyn Department of Transportation Commissioner Keith Bray. But before you do, let's take a moment to understand how the bikes got here.

Citi Bike is in the middle of a major expansion into Red Hook, Gowanus and BoCoCa, with plans to bring new kiosks to Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Prospect Heights, Crown Heights and Bed-Stuy next year.

As of June, the system had 108,000 annual members, according to the city, a record high. On average, 48,677 rides were taken every day that month.

But those numbers can't hide the fact that plenty of Brooklyn residents aren't happy with the bike share's latest roll-out.

After Patch wrote about Wednesday's Citi Bike-related cacophony at a Community Board 6 meeting, multiple readers sent in their additional cents.

"There are several rather close together in Cobble Hill and Boerum Hill," wrote another local. "This is completely unnecessary and redundant!!!! Parking is tough enough around here! Please help stop this overkill."

A third identified herself as "a bicyclist and I love what Citibikes offers to NYC commuters."

That said, she wrote, the city "appears to be randomly placing installations at spots as close as 2 and 3 blocks together in Cobble Hill and worst of all without notifying its residents. Its is an offensive strategy that lacks transparency and good will with the [Cobble Hill] community."

Two themes are obvious. First, some stations have earned the ire of local residents. And second, many people remain unclear about how their block was chosen to host a station to begin with.

Here's how the bikes got there

The Citi Bike system falls under the authority of the city's Department of Transportation.

In response to questions from Patch, an agency spokesperson said each location adheres to "a rigorous set of technical siting guidelines" factoring in "existing travel patterns, utilities, and building and subway entrances," among other details.

According to the spokesperson, "overall station density and network connectivity is one of the main considerations" when DOT decides where to put in bikes. "Spreading Citi Bike stations evenly over the entire service area ensures equal access to stations throughout both commercial and residential areas."

But what about community involvement?

According to the DOT, it was "extensive."

"New Yorkers submit their ideas in the tens of thousands on the online suggestion map, in the community workshops held throughout the service area, in community board feedback sessions and in hundreds of meetings that neighborhood and other organizations held directly with NYC DOT," the spokesperson wrote.

"Where communities prized sidewalk space," they continued, "we tried to locate the stations at the curbside. If parking was at a premium, we looked for sidewalk, plaza or other space."

Many of the public meetings referenced took place long before the bikes were installed, so its not surprising that if residents missed the gatherings, Citi Bike seemed to show up out of nowhere.

The area represented by the aforementioned Community Board 6 can be used as an example. DOT presented its draft expansion plan to members of the board in October, 2015, according to this draft plan listed along with others on the DOT's website.

According to that presentation, by that point in time, the agency had held 17 meetings and events with CB6 members, officials, and community groups, as well as a planning workshops in March of 2015 and June of 2012.

At the June, 2015 workshop, a map of 522 potential sites was unveiled, with residents asked to comment on the locations selected.

"Where possible, less preferred sites were removed from consideration," the presentation document states.

The finalized expansion plan was also approved by the Community Board in June. (A note: that final map included a few stations in Community Board 2, such as the station at the intersection of Bergen Street and Smith Street mentioned above.)

Additionally, Citi Bike maintains an online map showing all active and planned docking stations.

None of this is to say that the concerns of locals are illegitimate. What seems clear, though, is that many residents were unaware of past public discussions, or the online listing of stations.

"I have my own bike and have no reason to have the app or go on the site," one reader wrote to Patch, explaining why they hadn't seen the online map. "Many residents are older, or younger with babies, and also have no reason to go on it...Citibike is growing faster than we may be prepared [for] and should perhaps have anticipated the anger that has risen."

Still Upset? Here's What To Do

At Wednesday's CB6 meeting, chairman Sayar Lonial said residents should voice concerns to the community board and report problematic stations to 311.

The DOT spokesperson Patch contacted said residents can also "raise concerns regarding station locations by writing a letter to the appropriate DOT Borough Commissioner’s office."

"Their request should comprehensively outline their concerns or reasons for wanting the station relocated," the spokesperson continued. "The Borough Commissioner’s Office and the Bike Share group will review the station and their concerns and will respond to the constituent."

Patch asked if the DOT would respond within a certain time frame, but did not immediately receive a response (we'll update this post if we hear back).

Brooklyn's DOT commissioner is Keith Bray. His office can be reached by calling 646-892-1350, and is located at 16 Court St., #1620, Brooklyn, NY 11241. The DOT has also provided this website where messages can be sent to Bray directly.

Pictured at top: a Citi Bike docking station in Red Hook. Photo by John V. Santore