For those of you not on the NYC Moto mailing list -- here's a message I posted there:
I got a call about this meeting last week from a staffer in Councilmember Lappin's office. (I've been talking to them on and off since writing letters to all the transport committee members last year.)
I've been invited to give testimony for this hearing, and I gladly will. It's my opinion that the way to get what we want is to be focused and realistic. The way to get ignored or laughed out of the room is to show up with 47 different agendas and special interest groups. (If I go there and hear from the LPSL and ABATE guys, talking about 416A and helmet laws, I think I'll vomit.)
For my part, I've been carefully considering what I'll say. I'm getting it down to a few simple points, and I'd love to get your feedback:
1. Motorcycles and Scooters have special parking requirements, beyond the issue of Muni-meters.
2. Because they are small and light, they are very susceptible to damage when parked between cars and SUVs. ("Cars often 'park by feel.'")
3. ("Sort of like a parakeet trying to find a safe place to land in a herd of buffalo.")
4. For the same reason (light weight, small size) motorcycles are uniquely susceptible to theft.
5. For that reason, I’d like the DOT to establish DEDICATED, SPECIALIZED motorcycle- and scooter-only street parking throughout the city.
Benefits:
1. In the space used by a single automobile, five or six scooters or motorcycles could be accommodated. (See:
moto-parking on Flickr - Photo Sharing! )
2. This means the efficiency of parking (# of people able to reach an area) could be increased by up to 600%.
3. More efficient parking means easier access for both business customers, and the employees who service them.
4. This parking would not require displacing very many car spots. It could even be seasonal.
5. Increased ease of parking scooters and motorcycles would particularly aid in short, intra-Manhattan travel, which is not always efficiently served by public transport.
6. Every car which can be replaced with a scooter or motorcycle reduces congestion, due to their smaller size.
7. Furthermore, due to their much higher fuel efficiency (200% to 400% more efficient), motorcycles and scooters have the potential to reduce greenhouse gases and carbon emissions.
What a good solution might look like:
1. San Francisco is an example of a comparable city which has taken this initiative.
2. Motorcycle/Scooter spaces would be marked with painted lines on the street.
3. Special muni-meters (e.g., the type used by the city of SF) could be used.
4. Fixed metal anchors, on the sidewalk near the curb would permit vehicles to be secured from theft.
OK... That's just my brain-dump at the moment. Frankly, I'd be happy with painted rectangles on the street.
Thoughts?
. It can cause problems easily if you aren't able to concentrate.
