There are new bike pods starting to appear in parts of the New York City in order to make the city safer for people who ride.
The Department of Transportation aka DOT, announced their new bike parking strategy called "Mini," which is a protype from a company based in Brooklyn called Oonnee. This product places six-bike protected curbside corrals in five locations around Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens in order for people to secure their bike safely. DOT Commissioner Rodriguez stated in a press release, “As cycling has grown more popular during the pandemic, we know that finding safe bike parking is among the obstacles riders face – and Oonee expertly meets that need.”
The first pod has already been installed at 400 W14th Street and will open at these locations in the next few months according to Secret NYC:
- April – Lower East Side BID, Broome /Essex near Essex Street Market, Manhattan
- May – Union Square BID, SE Corner 14th Street & 5th Ave near New School, Manhattan
- June – Prospect Heights NDC, Vanderbilt Ave Open Street near 577 Vanderbilt Ave, Brooklyn
- July – 31st Avenue Open Street, near 34-02 31st Ave, Astoria, Queens
Parking with Oonee is free but will make cyclists access the pods through the Oonee website. The interior of the parking pod will be lit up so you can see and get your bike easily at any hour. There will also be a customer service representative always available and insurance coverage for all bike and scooters parked there.
Will you be parking your bike here?!