Bay Ridge Residents Push Back Against Citi Bike Expansion Plans

Community Concerns Over Citi Bike Expansion

• 🏘️ Bay Ridge homeowners are expressing frustration over the planned rollout of 50 new Citi Bike docking stations in their Brooklyn community.
• 📝 Over a thousand neighbors have signed a petition urging the Department of Transportation (DOT) and Lyft (parent company of Citi Bike) to reduce the number of stations.
• 📍 Residents cite concerns about oversaturation in residential areas, with stations proposed every two blocks, and a lack of community input in the decision-making process.

Safety and Traffic Flow Issues

• ⚠️ Several proposed locations are deemed dangerous, with one intersection at 78th and Colonial Road having a history of 31 crashes since 2009.
• 🚗 The city previously removed parking at this intersection for a safety measure called daylighting to improve visibility for drivers.
• 🚫 Residents fear that placing a bike dock there would reverse this safety improvement, despite assurances from transportation alternatives that bike stations are easier to see around.

Official Responses and Next Steps

• 👂 Council member Justin Brandon's office is actively reviewing each proposed location and has found the DOT to be responsive.
• 🗣️ A DOT spokesperson stated that the expansion will bring the service to more New Yorkers and that they are considering areas with higher volume of people.
• 🗓️ The Citi Bike expansion to Bay Ridge is anticipated for this fall.