EAST HARLEM — Citi Bike released the proposed locations of 30 docking stations it plans to install throughout El Barrio.
The stations, which can be installed in the sidewalk or the road, are spread out from 96th Street up to East 130th Street. Many are near NYCHA developments, parks and subway stations. See every location in this map.
Residents at a community board meeting Tuesday night were excited about the expansion, which is slated to be complete by the end of 2017, but many were concerned about the possible loss of parking spots.
“People get very angry when they come home from work and can’t find a place to park,” said Michael Payne, 54, who lives at 112th Street and Madison Avenue. “My plea to you is please don’t take any more parking space. Please don’t.”
Half of the locations are in the street, which would mean a loss of parking spots, according to a map released Wednesday morning.
The proposed locations are not set in stone. People can still suggest alternatives to the DOT and to the Community Board, according to the chairman of the Public Safety and Transportation committee Jose Altamirano.
“Whatever you are looking at, keep an open mind because we are going to keep working on this,” he said. “This is not something that is going to come into play in a month or two.”
Representatives from the DOT and Citi Bike took notes during the meeting and are still accepting alternative locations. They plan to start contacting owners of buildings near proposed locations soon.
Residents were also concerned that there weren’t any proposed locations on Randall’s Island, which is part of Community Board 11. Another worry was potential noise complaints from the trucks that deliver new bikes to empty stations.
Despite the concerns, residents looked forward to the expansion and see it as a way to save money on public transportation.
An annual membership costs $149 per year — much less than a MetroCard, which costs $116 per month for unlimited use — and there are discounts for NYCHA residents and members of certain credit unions.
“I’m really excited about it coming to the community,” said Anna Berlanga. “I don’t have to spend money on a taxi, I don’t have to spend money on the bus. Instead of paying $2.50 every time I get on a train I can pay $149 a year for my membership.”