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Land Use, Housing & Zoning
NYC Department of City Planning proposal for a text amendment to the Zoning Resolution to create regulations requiring indoor, secure bicycle parking in residential, commercial and community facility uses in all zoning districts.
WHEREAS, The Department of City Planning has proposed a Zoning text amendment which will require indoor, secure, long-term bicycle parking in new, converted and substantially renovated multi-family residential, community facility, parking garages and commercial buildings; and
WHEREAS, Transportation, congestion and health issues are major quality of life issues facing New Yorkers; and
WHEREAS, The NYC population continues to grow and the City is expected to have over nine million residents in the coming decades without substantial new transportation infrastructure; and
WHEREAS, The City must look to solutions that will more effectively and efficiently use its resources while minimizing carbon emissions and other adverse effects on the environment; and
WHEREAS, Using bicycles for transportation needs have minimal adverse impacts, could help alleviate congestion, improve air quality, reduce carbon emissions as well as have health benefits for cyclists; and
WHEREAS, In recent years, the City become engaged in many different programs to increase bicycle riding and bicycle riding in Manhattan has more than doubled since 2000 and is expected to continue to grow rapidly; and
WHEREAS, Surveys show that the lack of secure bicycle storage facilities at worksites and residents are leading factors in preventing people from cycling to work; and
WHEREAS, The proposed text amendments would generally provide for:
- One bicycle parking space for every two new or converted residential units in buildings having more than 10 units;
- One bicycle parking space for 7,500 square feet of commercial office space and one space per 10,000 square feet of retail and other commercial spaces;
- One bicycle parking space for each ten car parking spaces in public parking garages; and
WHEREAS, The Board is concerned that the text does not provide for specific accessibility requirements in commercial buildings which would ensure that bicycle parking is relatively effortless or findings by the Department of Buildings which would ensure that bicycle parking is easily accessible in commercial buildings; and
WHEREAS, The Board believes that the new bicycle parking requirements should also apply to public parking garages which seek to renew a Special Permit or Board of Standards and Appeals variances; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the Board supports the new text amendments but believes they could be improved by requiring mixed use buildings to provide the requisite number of bicycle parking spaces for each of the uses in the new development, apply to public parking garages seeking to renew Special Permits or BSA variances and that the amendments include specific accessibility requirements for commercial buildings which ensures that bicycle parking is easily accessible and practical for cyclists.
The above resolution passed by a vote of 29 in favor, 0 opposed, 2 abstaining.