More Citi Bikes for Greenpoint, Williamsburg Ahead of L Train Shutdown
WILLIAMSBURG – More Citi Bikes are coming to Williamsburg and Greenpoint ahead of the L Train Shutdown this winter as the NYC Department of Transportation looks to add capacity to existing bike stations across North Brooklyn.
A draft of the new plan was presented to Community Board 1 in Williamsburg last night, ahead of a comment period for residents to give their feedback on the plan. The DOT is aiming to complete the expansion this winter, before the April shutdown.
Of the 62 stations in the plan area, 21 will be upgraded with more bikes. Immediate pushback came from CB 1 members concerned about losing parking spaces in the neighborhood, but the DOT presenters assured them that only 7 spots would be given up to expand the neighborhoods Citi Bike capacity by 200 docks.
In Greenpoint, the biggest expansion will be on the north side of McGolrick Park, where 30 new docks will be installed. Other notable expansion locations will include 16 docks at Manhattan & India, 12 docks at Eagle & McGuinness and 11 docks at Nassau & McGuinness.
For the Williamsburg portion of the expansion, the biggest new addition will be a whopping 34 new docks at Broadway & Division, just down from the Hewes J/M station. Major pickups will also happen on the east side of the neighborhood, adding 17 docks at the Montrose L, 15 on Humboldt the Bushwick Houses and 12 by the Martinez Playground at Manhattan & Scholes.
Along with expansions at existing Citi Bike docks, the DOT also plans to add four new high-capacity Valet Stations in Brooklyn (with another 6 in Manhattan). These high-traffic stations would have Citi Bike attendants on hand to stack bikes in a corral, allowing for a much higher capacity—in the hundreds, according to the DOT presenters.
Locations for these new valet stations would be at Kent & North 7th, Bedford & North 6th, South 5th Place & South 4th Street, and out at Bushwick Avenue & Powers Street.
Commuters would be able to pick up the new pedal-assist electric Citi Bikes at the Bedford & North 6th and Bushwick Avenue & Powers Street locations. There will be 1000 of the new electric Citi Bikes introduced between Manhattan and Brooklyn in advance of the L Train Shutdown, according to the DOT plans.
While none of the improvements and infill in the DOT’s new plan expand Citi Bike coverage to new neighborhoods, DOT representatives said last night that they will be visiting Bushwick’s Community Board 4 meeting in December to present an expansion plan to the community for discussion.
