A couple get their Citi Bike bicycles from a station near Union Square as the bike sharing system in New York.
One of New York City’s oldest and poshest hotels is too good for the five-month old Citibank bike share program.
The famed hotel has filed a lawsuit against the Department of Transportation, Citi Bike and Citibank, the New York Post reports. The court papers demand the city removes the bike rack, which it cites as a cause of traffic congestion and an “eyesore” to the nearby landmarks of the hotel and the Grand Army Plaza.
(MORE: Bike Share, Check. Helmet? Not Always)
The Citi Bike rack outside the Fifth Avenue main entrance has left only three lanes for cars, which the hotel’s lawyer, Steven Sladkus, argues has caused traffic congestion and attracted litter. Sladkus also said the city neglected to assess the environmental-impact review of installing bikes at the Central Park South location and is also in violation of allowing advertisements on street furniture.
A spokeswoman for the city Law Department told the Post, “We are confident that the installation was proper.”
No bike sharing for Eloise, we suppose.
MORE: As New York’s Bike Share Fixes Failures, It Needs to Cope With Success