Several dozen rental bikes were lined up on Weehawken St. lastSunday behind the store. Benny, who was watching over them, saidanother advantage over the Citi Bikes is that Waterfront’s bikesare all in good working order.
Farrell’s early concerns were echoed by Andrew Crooks, owner of NYCVelo, at 64 Second Ave.
“It seemed like a great idea, but one that would be difficult toimplement,” Crooks said of Citi Bike. He said he worried aboutinexperienced riders’ lack of awareness of biking rules andbacklash from non-cyclists. However, he said, it’s still too earlyto tell if his business has been impacted.
The actual Citi Bikes themselves have been criticized as “heavy,”“clunky,” even “ugly.” In comparison, Crooks said NYC Velo hasbikes that are “lighter, faster and tend to bemore comfortable.” Farrell of Waterfront also said his bikes are of“better quality” than the bike-share two-wheelers.
While it’s possible bike-share will cause a drop in business in thelong run, Crooks allowed that the idea, as a whole, is good for thecity.
“I believe that the program is a positive step forward for New YorkCity,” he said, “and will prove to benefit New York City cyclingconditions — in terms of greater acceptance, safety andaccessibility.”
上一页 [1] [2] [3]
