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March 23, 2006
Hon Margaret Forgione
Manhattan Borough Commissioner
NYC Department of Transportation
280 Broadway
New York, NY 10007
Dear Commissioner Forgione;
The Greenwich Village Block Associations is a community wide coalition of neighborhood organizations dedicated to preserving and improving the quality of life for residents of our historic neighborhood. Our members notice that there is a marked increase in the number of bicycles parked on a sidewalks, attached to parking signs, tree guards etc. Two pieces (page 5) in our current newsletter attempt to open a dialogue about the issue.
While we understand that there may be people who do not find parked bicycles objectionable, others take a different view. These bicycles are often unsightly, infringe upon and damage planting areas as well as impede pedestrian access. It is typically difficult to determine how long a bicycle has remained in a specific spot. Indeed, how long can a bicycle remain before it can be considered abandoned?
In the past common courtesy informed residents’ decisions to make private arrangements to store their property, but it now seems usual for many residents to appropriate public space for this purpose without regard for how this may impact their neighbors.
The GVBA would appreciate knowing the regulations regarding the public storage of bicycles so we can determine what recourse is now permissible and so that we can decide what course of action to take regarding a growing community concern.
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