Featured in Gizmodo for exposing app based rideshare companies funding bike activist groups

NYC DOT Plans to remove 680 free parking spaces under the BQE from Apollo St to Metropolitan Ave and replace them with a bike path, a third sidewalk, and 400 Parking Meters.

Metered parking will be $1.50 per hour from 7am to 10pm Monday to Saturday. That’s $22.50 per day, 6 days per week. In a residential neighborhood. This is not a commercial district.

Transportation Alternatives, the lobbyist organization which pushed this DOT project, is funded by Lyft, Citibike, Uber, Revel, Lime and Amazon, with a stated goal of eliminating private car ownership, creating a permanent underclass of rideshare and delivery service customers.

This is bad for the environment, bad for working people, and bad for our neighborhood.

https://www1.nyc.gov/html/dot/downloads/pdf/meeker%20ave-cb1-may2021.pdf

What this project will do:

• Eliminate nearly 700 Free parking spaces relied upon daily by residents.
• Price gouge residents and commuters with metered parking from 7am to 10pm 6 days per week in a residential area.
• Create more congestion and increase emissions as residents circle blocks searching for parking that doesn't exist.
• Increase the use of car services such as Uber and Lyft creating even more congestion and emissions.
• Limit transportation options for people who rely on personal vehicles for their daily commute in the transit-poor area, the elderly, the disabled, and blue collar workers.
• Absolutely nothing to increase public transit options in the area. In fact it will REMOVE a bus stop to make way for the bike lane.
• Displace the homeless population residing at the eastern portion of Meeker Ave under the BQE without any plan.
• Give over more public land to private corporations such as Citibike and Zipcar.

Studies conducted by DOT regarding who parks under the BQE:

• NONE

Studies conducted by DOT regarding bike traffic that would require a bike lane under the BQE:

• NONE

The DOT states the space under the BQE is "derelict" but also refuses to conduct street sweeping unless the parking is metered. We do not have to accept this.

We demand:

• Stop the current iteration of this project's proposal immediately.
• Do not remove any parking spaces under the BQE and do not install any meters.
• Reroute bike lanes away from Meeker Ave and onto side streets since bike volume on Meeker and over the Koscuiuszko Bridge is extremely low.
• Conduct street sweeping under the BQE during the designated alternate side parking periods.
• Successfully ticket vehicles that do not move for street sweepers if revenue is needed.
• Tow abandoned vehicles.
• Ticket speeding vehicles and/or install speed cameras in strategic areas.
• Make crosswalks safer with updated crossing signals, signal timing adjustments, more defined turning lanes, etc.
  
  

*DISCLAIMER: Any monetary donation made when signing this petition goes to Change.org. Though it can help get this petition in front of more people and potentially more signatures, it does not go to Meeker Ave Neighbors. We currently have no donation activities. The best way to help is to sign, share, contact our representatives, contact the media, speak at Community Board 1 and public protest. Please see the posted updates for more information. Contact us at meekerneighbors@gmail.com to get involved and visit our website.