Northeast - NYC bike parking law a SHAM?

I think this picture says it all. This is Hells Kitchen/Theater District border, midtown but not a super-high price part.

I don't understand the sign. Is this a monthly parking fee?

Yes.

Maybe the picture didnt' say it all.

If garages are allowed to charge absurd rates that virtually no one would ever pay, they have a free option out of the new "mandatory" bike parking requirments.

That's still only about $7.50 a day versus about $40 per hour for a car near Midtown. The charge and sign were probably posted up well before the bike law went into effect.

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Do you mean the new bicycle access to office building law? There doesn't seem to be anything in there that prevents a private garage from charging whatever they want. The city lists a few garages that are offering free or low-cost indoor parking. Maybe some people feel it's worth it to have a guaranteed space. Maybe there's good security. Who knows--it's New York, so of course it costs more than it's worth.

Yes, it appears to be a pricing sign from a commercial parking garage (in the business of providing vehicle space for a profit) as evidenced by the reference to motorcycles. This is not a sign from a straight up office building as contemplated by the bike law.

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This is a result of a new companion bill, the Bicycle Access to Garage Law (http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/08/03/more-bike-parking-news-from-city-council-20000-new-spaces-on-the-way/) requiring NYC garages to set aside a certain amount of space for bicycles.

$7.50/day, if that's what the above rate actually works out to, certainly does seem excessive but, far as I know, the City didn't set a limit on how much private garages can charge.

This was also discussed on Streetsblog How Much Would You Pay to Park Your Bike in an NYC Garage? (http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/12/18/how-much-would-you-pay-to-park-your-bike-in-an-nyc-garage/)

The garage I park my car in want's $9.18+tax and $175+tax for a monthly. They seem to be pricing it to avoid have to do it.

Right. It's a commercial garage. They're now required to accept bikes and post rates for them if they're over a certain car capacity.

To park a bike securely for a single day at $7.50 isn't unreasonable IMO. I would pay it. But that's not apples to apples when you're talking monthlies.

A monthly rate that's comparable to cars is unreasonable. This garage has plenty of dead space where they wouldn't lose any car capacity by taking bikes.

A superior garage down the block charges $60/month for bicycle parking.

Charging $221 plus tax is not based on the market, it's based on defeating the law requiring them to accept bikes.

There's always the potential for value added bicycle parking. For example, if a garage were to provide lockers, a changing area, maybe even a shower, their parking might be worth more than other garages in the same area.

Oh and bicycles shouldn't be subject to that 18% parking tax since that's a motor vehicle tax.

Right. It's a commercial garage. They're now required to accept bikes and post rates for them if they're over a certain car capacity.

To park a bike securely for a single day at $7.50 isn't unreasonable IMO. I would pay it. But that's not apples to apples when you're talking monthlies.

A monthly rate that's comparable to cars is unreasonable. This garage has plenty of dead space where they wouldn't lose any car capacity by taking bikes.

A superior garage down the block charges $60/month for bicycle parking.

Charging $221 plus tax is not based on the market, it's based on defeating the law requiring them to accept bikes.

$7.50 a day is a lot if you look at it strictly from a cost perspective since most commuters would only be spending $5 a day to use mass transit.

Monthly parking rates for a car in the prime Midtown area are currently in the range between $400 to $500 (or more) depending on the garage. Considering that the space taken by one car could fit over a dozen bikes, it would appear a bit excessive, perhaps mitigated by the fact that they might have to install added security (people or racks) since bikes are much more exposed to theft than a car.


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