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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PR- 376-09
August 13, 2009

MAYOR BLOOMBERG SIGNS LEGISLATION IMPROVING BICYCLING CONDITIONS THROUGHOUT THE FIVE BOROUGHS

Remarks by Mayor Bloomberg at a Public Hearing on Local Laws

"The next two bills before me, Introductory Numbers 780-A and 871-A, build on our Administration’s ongoing efforts to improve bicycling conditions throughout the five boroughs.

"Making bicycling a safe, low-cost, and fun means of getting around town is a key component of PlaNYC, our Administration’s vision for a greener, greater New York. Under the leadership of Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan, the Department of Transportation has made great strides in turning that vision into a reality: over the past three years, we’ve seen a 45 percent increase in bicycle commuting in our City, spurred by our creation of more than 200 miles of bike lanes as well as the installation of 3,100 bicycle racks and 20 sheltered bike parking structures. Also, the Council recently adopted zoning requirements crafted by the Department of City Planning to ensure that new buildings over a certain size will be designed to include bicycle parking facilities.

"These two pieces of legislation aim to take these successes several significant steps further. Introductory Number 780-A, sponsored by Council Members Koppell, Brewer, Comrie, James, Yassky, White, Garodnick, Gennaro, Vacca, and Liu, requires owners of certain car-parking facilities throughout the City to provide parking spaces for bicycles. For the next two years, garages and lots having a hundred or more spaces must provide one bicycle parking space for every ten car parking spaces, up to two hundred car spaces, and one bike parking space for every hundred car spaces after that. Starting in November of 2011, the bill will also apply at the same ratio to facilities having more than fifty car spaces.

"Introductory Number 871-A, sponsored by Council Members Yassky, Brewer, Comrie, Gonzalez, James, Koppell, Palma, Mendez, Gerson, Felder, White, Vallone, Foster, Mark-Viverito, Garodnick, Weprin, Seabrook, Gennaro, Nelson, Fidler, Gioia, de Blasio, Reyna, Gentile, Jackson, Barron, Crowley, Sanders, Sears, Mitchell, Vacca, Arroyo, Ferreras, Ulrich, Liu, and the Public Advocate, Betsy Gotbaum, requires office building owners to allow bicycle access for their tenants.

"Upon request of a tenant, owners of office buildings with freight elevators must provide to the Department of Transportation a copy of the bicycle access plan that has been prepared for the tenant, describing an authorized route for bicyclists to bring their bikes into their offices. Exemptions will be granted if the Department of Buildings deems the freight elevator unsafe for use by cyclists, or if the Department of Transportation finds that there is sufficient secure alternate off-street or indoor no-cost bicycle parking within three blocks. The bill also creates a temporary bicycle commuting task force, which will work to establish partnerships with private entities to develop sheltered bicycle parking in public/private spaces. The task force will report its findings to the Mayor and to the Speaker by the end of next year.

"I would like to thank Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan, Buildings Commissioner Bob LiMandri, Consumer Affairs Commissioner Jonathan Mintz, Office of Long Term Planning and Sustainability Director Rit Aggarwala, Department of City Planning Chair Amanda Burden, and all of their staff, as well as Law Department Senior Counsel Andrea Berger, for their work on these bills. I would also like to thank the Council for approving this legislation."







MEDIA CONTACT:


Stu Loeser/Evelyn Erskine   212) 788-2958




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