Citi Bike Ad Urges Riders To ‘Hit The Promenade’ Where It’s Against The Law To Ride A Bike

By on May 26, 2013 1:51 pm in Brooklyn Heights

This dispatch just in from a BHB reader concerned about the message included in a Citibank ad on the Citi Bike kiosk on Hicks and Montague Streets:

I just saw the information sign next to the Citibike rack at Hicks and Montague…There is a list of things that you could do while riding your Citibike…Top of the list is “Hit the Promenade”…I have always been under the impression that bike riding was not allowed on the Promenade…What is going on here?

Yes, it’s totally against the rules to ride a bike on the Promenade. We’ll assume that the ad’s intention was for users to “hit the promenade” responsibly. Right?

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  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlsiLOnWCoI Arch Stanton

    Perhaps you should try riding some of the bikes. You might finally be able to catch that damned Roadrunner, on one…

  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlsiLOnWCoI Arch Stanton

    30 minutes is plenty of time to ride from one point of interest to another. So yes, some tourists will use it.

  • Joe A

    I absolutely hate this sort of reasoning. It is why it is so hard to get anything done in this country when lawsuits and the fear of litigation are threatened for ANYTHING. I am glad that the city and Citbank are disregarding such nonsensical threats from a very small minority of modern day Luddites.

    BTW, he city share program would have no liability should a rider get hurt unless there was some safety defect with the bicycle. That would be like suing Hertz if you got into an accident while renting one of their vehicles.

  • Joe A

    Talk about arrogance. To say the bike share program is just a bunch of play toys that no one really needs is the height of arrogance. What you mean to say is that YOU don’t have a need for the bike share program and of course you are so much important than the 18,000 that have already signed up for a program that hasn’t even started yet.

  • Joe A

    Wiley hates all tourists. Hates the pedestrian bridge. Hates our restaurants. Hates the bike share program. Other than that he is a very positive guy.

  • Joe A

    I also think it is dangerous to suggest you eat two slices of pizza while riding. That can be very dangerous. SUE CITIBANK.

  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlsiLOnWCoI Arch Stanton

    I am all for the program but the sign could be misleading, especially if one didn’t know riding is prohibited on the Promenade.

  • Joe A

    The responses suggest it is the opposite of tiresome. It seems everyone has a strong opinion on a program that will have a significant impact on BH ( either positive or negative depending upon your viewpoint). I think this is exactly the sort of issue to be discussed in a neighborhood blog. Unless of course you are a fan of the Best Nail Spa’s in Brooklyn Heights type of articles.

  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlsiLOnWCoI Arch Stanton

    Of course no one would think they could ride in (My beloved) Yankee Stadium, but one can ride on the Promenade. So the sign is ambiguous.

  • Joe A

    Yes, tourists will undoubtably use the bikes but is is not the raisin d’être of the program.

  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlsiLOnWCoI Arch Stanton

    Of course a simple solution would be to stripe a bike lane down the Promenade.

  • brooklynheightsblog

    Hmm…now that you mention it……

  • jivika

    I just hit the *road* on my first citibike ride. I couldn’t get the seat adjusted on the first bike, and the second made a strange noise for a couple of blocks, but then it was great! The phone app appears to be down, but I’m sure the kinks will be worked out soon enough. The best part was all the curious questions and warm greetings from all my new bh neighbors. Thanks y’all!

  • travy

    i support the bike share but have issues with giant banks seemingly doing whatever they want. this sign does encourage someone who doesn’t know any better to ride on the promenade and i don’t think another business or entity would be allowed to put up a sign encouraging illegal behavior. what if a bodega advertised grabbing a six pack cracking open a cold one on the promenade at sunset?

    banks get to do what they want in bloomie’s nyc and the rest of us get edicts on how big our drinks can be.

  • Joe A

    No, no, please!

  • JEK

    The thing that I’m afraid of is increased riding on the sidewalks! I actually saw some nitwit come out of the Eastern Athletic Club on Clark St. riding a bicycle & when an elderly gentleman told him he was breaking the law, his answer was ” You shouldn’t be standing on the sidewalk.”
    Go figure from nuts!

  • Park Lover

    Well. I’m actually kind of confused about Bloomy’s fondness for the bikes. After all, they don’t create the noise and air pollution from the 100’s of tourist chopper flights that hug the Brooklyn shoreline for 10 hours every day, so where’s the fun for our helicopter-obsessed Mayor?

  • carlotta

    Why do dog owners allow their dogs to poop on the sidewalks and on the promenade? Even when they pick up the poop, there is residue and we all walk on it and then it dries up and leaves an ugly stain. Whatever happened to ‘curb your dog’? Please, and thank you to those who do.

  • petercow

    I actually put newspaper down so the dog doesn’t poop directly on the sidewalk or promenade. I encourage all dog owners to do the same,

  • bialy

    Right now it is not priced for tourist grade use. As no one here will ride these willy wonka’s citi will soon realize that pricing much change to rake in the dough here. I say it first … the pricing will change and it will be all tourists in a month or 2. Tourists wont care if everyone is laughing at them on those hideous bikes..

  • petercow

    Yes. They might. Some tourists ride in taxis from place to place.

    If they want to use a bike to tour the city, they’ll almost certainly be better off renting a bike for the day.

  • yoohoo

    Today’s (Monday) New York Ttimes reports that 14,000 individuals have registered for annual membership. It cites $58.95 plus tax as the cost of a three-hour CityBike rental with a 24-hour pass ($9.95) and only 30-minute rental periods (v. 45-minute rental periods on an annual subscription) – not exactly an economic way to sightsee. If you can’t find an empty dock within that 30-min period, the “penalty” for the next 30 minutes is $4+, rising ever higher for subsequent rental increments. Visitors will be much better off renting a Bike & Roll bike. Yet, there’s a huge docking station on Cadman Plaza East between Red Cross Place and the steps from the Brooklyn Bridge walkway, which is taken by thousands of visitors. Tourist entrapment?
    It would be advisable to check whether “promenade” is listed at other docking stations besides the one at Montague & Hicks. As “promenade” is spelled with a lower-case “p,” it may just be a turn of phrase and not refer specifically to the Brooklyn Heights Promenade.

  • David on Middagh

    Another problem: On the colorful neighborhood map (kiosk at Fruit Street Sitting Area), park green is similar to bike-route green. This makes our promenade (Parks Dept.) look like a bike path.

  • petercow

    actual number is 17,000 plus.

    if all spots are full at a dock, you get an extra 15 mins. You can tell availability via iphone app.

  • petercow

    So I rode from Hicks and Montague to post office (where i was actually surprised to find a dock) – mailed a letter. I then rode another down to borough hall (went to gym). Then rode home.

    Did this all more just to try it out.. bikes are certainly ‘utility’ bikes. The gearing felt a little hinky, but still, not bad. And getting it out and into a dock is a snap.

  • Greg

    People here are *already* riding them. It’s amazing how many New Yorkers came out of the woodwork yesterday deciding they were going to sign up to get around, get to work, etc.

    I think it’s quite clear this will prove more popular with locals than most suspect. Which makes sense, since that’s exactly what’s happened in every other city that’s implemented bike share. And I think New Yorkers are wiser to the practical advantages of this system than people in other cities.

    Many people are already learning it just makes their life easier.

    This is already succeeding as a practical transportation system. It will stay that way.

  • newkai

    Sure it’s not encouraging riding the Myrtle Promenade in MetroTech? :-)

  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlsiLOnWCoI Arch Stanton

    Hey Homer, If you only bothered to look on the other side of the sign. The map clearly shows the Promenade
    marked as pedestrian only.

  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlsiLOnWCoI Arch Stanton

    Photo of map

  • sweeti

    never knew you can’t ride a bike on the promenade. who made such a rule? with all the park development in the area, people are going to be riding bikes over there.

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