Residents and activists in East Elmhurst are calling on the Department of Transportation and elected officials to remove a Citi bike station at the corner of 97th Street and Malcolm X Place.
Activist Hiram Moserrate indicates:
“They are taking away our parking spaces, the residents of the community are complaining and this is a business that should not exist on residential streets.”
The 18 bike station was installed a few weeks ago. According to neighbors, they have sent letters to the company Lyft, owners of Citi Bike, and the department of transportation to remove the bicycles. Additionally, they have contacted local politicians asking for help.
“The people who live here pay taxes and should have parking on their blocks.”
There are more than 30 bike stations in the Corona and Elmhurst neighborhoods. For the most part, they are located on commercial streets such as Roosevelt and Northern Boulevard. According to them, these bikes are not in demand in residential areas like this.
Some businesses in the area say that the situation affects them quite a bit.
“It is affecting us because there are many customers who do not complain here and I think it would be best if they could move it and it would help us better for the community and for us,” says Gus Rodríguez, Manager of the La Guardia Café Restaurant.
The transportation department sent a statement and we quote:
“We are excited to continue expanding Citi Bike service in Queens to help offer residents a sustainable and efficient way to get around,” he adds.
Meanwhile, from the Transportation Alternatives program in Queens they stated:
“More than half of all homes in Elmhurst, Corona and Jackson Heights are car-free. Converting a small percentage of parking lots into bike docks gives residents new, sustainable ways to get around,” explains Laura Shepard, Alternatives Organizer Queens Transportation
Organizers say they will have more protests and take other steps to resolve this issue.
2023-09-22 18:54:00
#protest #presence #Citi #Bike #East #Elmhurst #Corona
