NYC’s Greenest Building Cracks Down on Bikes (Updated)

The Solaire building in Battery Park City bills itself as “America’s first environmentally advanced residential tower.” Here is a letter that building management just sent to all tenants:

It has been brought to the attention of Building
Management with increasing frequency that some tenants are using Public
Corridors as storage for bicycles. As well as being in violation of New York
City Fire Code, this is also extremely inconvenient and discourteous to other
tenants. In asking that these tenants cease and desist immediately from this
practice, Building Management would also ask that all tenants make themselves
aware of Building Policy regarding Public Hallways…

Streetsblog reader Hilary Kitasei notes, “The problem is
that all of these new green residential buildings around here have no more
storage space for bicycles, no outdoor bike racks, and no space for bikes in the
parking garages.”

The Solaire does, however, offer an underground parking garage for motor vehicles (with 24-7 carbon dioxide monitoring. How green!) We will give a free Open Planning Project t-shirt to the first person who can find out how many car parking spaces there are beneath the Solaire.

Update: Solaire fans are writing in to say that the building does indeed provide a bike parking room, though it doesn’t seem to be big enough to meet demand. A TOPP t-shirt for anyone who can come up with a photo of the bike parking room.