
On Monday, drivers were given no clue as to why a “No Standing” sign went up outside of Stuyvesant Town. (Photo taken by a T&V reader)
By Sabina Mollot
On Monday, the Department of Transportation quietly relocated parking spots that had been on the service road on First Avenue outside Stuyvesant Town to across the street. The reason for the work, apparently, was to accommodate a Citibike station that is also being moved.
Town & Village learned about the project after being contacted by two irate readers, both of whom live in Stuy Town and were annoyed to discover, upon coming home that parking spaces that had always been on the service road on First Avenue near the Gracefully shop were gone. In their place was a new “No Standing” sign.
As one reader, Laurence Watson, observed, “Spots that have been there 25 years are now gone without notice. One guy came home Saturday and had a ticket Sunday morning! It was an available spot on Friday.”
A spokesperson for the Department of Transportation didn’t respond to a request for an explanation by press time, but Council Member Dan Garodnick had better luck in getting answers from the DOT after T&V informed him of the issue.
Garodnick, who was told that the spaces were not removed but relocated to make way for the Citibikes, said that there was a reason for the sudden switch in locations. Apparently, in the bikes’ old spot, a Con Ed steam pipe that was located underneath the ground was sending condensation upwards that was destroying the shared bikes. While the work is underway a “No Standing” sign was installed.
It was on Wednesday afternoon when workers moved the Citibike station.
Garodnick added that there had not been any community notice prior to the project.