Bike Parking Still Missing After 5th Ave. Repavement

PARK SLOPE, BROOKLYN — Metal corrals along Fifth Avenue where bicyclists can safely stow their rides still haven't been reinstalled more than a month after the city repaved the major Park Slope corridor.

Bike corrals at at least three locations along the thoroughfare — near Baltic, Carroll and Fourth streets — are still missing, leaving Brooklynites with no place to leave their bike when they want to visit a store or step into a restaurant.

And, one Park Slope resident says, the city's Department of Transportation has been mum and about when they will return.

"It just sends a message that biking is secondary," said Doug Gordon, a TV producer who tweets from @BrooklynSpoke about transportation issues. "These are only three bike corral spots, but they represent, if you submit each one has four racks, you’re talking 12 to 15 spots for bicycles."

Gordon added: "They wouldn’t get rid of 15 car parking spots without coming to the community board or giving an update when they’re going to be restored. But cycling is just thought of as an afterthought."

Fifth Avenue received a major repaving in October, stretching from Flatbush Avenue down through the neighborhood to Prospect Avenue.

It disrupted some traffic at night when the work was happening but otherwise finished up in a timely manner, around Halloween.

The corrals, which sit in the street and take up the equivalent of one car parking space, were removed so the road could be repaved. Nearly a month and a half after that work finished, though, they're still missing.

One of those corrals was installed in April, between Fifth and Fourth streets in front of L'Alberodeigelati, which sells gellato, pastries, bread and wine.

"It's really important," Community Board 6's transportation committee chair Eric McClure told Patch at the time. "There are more and more people riding bikes in NYC, and having a place to lock up is key."

Another one on Carroll Street, in front of the popular Italian restaurant al di la, is also still missing. The other missing corral was near the Key Food on Baltic Street.

Photo by Doug Gordon, used with permission