Starting in November, New York City commuters will be able to bike to work less worry about where they will store their bicycles. The Bicycle Access to Office Buildings Bill (“BAOB”), which New York City Council passed Wednesday 46-1, will require commercial building owners and managers to allow employees of the building’s tenants to enter with their bicycles if the building has a freight elevator.
Under the BAOB, tenants may request bicycle access, which must be granted unless the building owner can certify that the building’s freight elevator is not safe for use to transport bicycles, or there is secure alternate covered off-street parking or secure indoor no-cost parking within three blocks of the building. Although the BAOB requires building owners to provide bike access, it does not require building owners to provide bike storage. Employees will keep their bicycles in their offices.
New York City Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan stated: “Every day, biking becomes a more established part of our transportation network and this legislation literally opens the door to making cycling an even more attractive and serious transportation option. Improved access is also a tremendous boon for businesses who want to encourage cycling among their employees, and it’s a catalyst for engineering a greener, greater New York City.”
Hi Jessica,
I have a question about BAOB I’m hoping someone at your office might be able to answer. If the building does not have a plan in place by Dec. 26, will bicycle users be able to take the regular elevator? My building is reluctantly being dragged into the bike age; and I’m afraid they may stall and procrastinate on hiring a freight elevator operator for this purpose. My concern is that I will show up with my bike on Dec. 26 and get turned away because their freight elevator is not running.
Thank you so much.
- Claire Schneider
Comment by Claire Schneider — August 14, 2009 @ 1:26 am