NYC DCAS Announces New Effort to Support City’s Cycling Ecosystem

DCAS Seeks Public Input on Using City Property to Bolster Biking in NYC, Including Ideas for Secure Bike Parking and Last-Mile Cargo Relay Facilities

NYC Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) Commissioner Dawn M. Pinnock today announced a new effort to support New York City’s cycling ecosystem. DCAS has issued a request for expressions of interest (RFEI) to solicit public feedback on how City properties could be used to ensure the widespread availability of:   Secure bike parking: Facilities where customers can park bikes, e-bikes, cargo bikes, and other bicycle-based freight vehicles. Ideas would provide security for individual bicycles and be both inexpensive and easy to use.  Last-mile cargo bike container relay facilities: System or network of facilities where containers suitable for transport via cargo bike would be picked up and dropped off. In such a system or network, a given container would be received and relayed, its contents would be distributed to recipients, and it would subsequently be reloaded for outbound shipments. Such facilities would enable cost-effective deliveries by cargo bike to most or all of the city’s population and land area. Last-mile bike rentals: Facilities where a user can rent a bike for a round trip between a public transit stop and a destination up to a few miles away. Bike retail and rental: Bike retail facilities, especially those which contribute to the widespread availability of bikes—and the parts, service, and accessories associated with them—which are inexpensive, durable, long-lasting, easily repaired, and suitable for everyday use on city streets for a wide range of riding distances. Bike rental facilities which, when considered along with retail facilities, cover a range of locations and durations suitable to cover as wide a swath of demand as possible. Bike supply, recovery, and repair: Provision of bicycles to most or all city residents, restoration or remanufacturing of bicycles, and provision of ongoing repair services to bike recipients and other bike owners. Small-scale bike repair: Self-serve and full-serve small-scale facilities, whether fixed-location or mobile, where the cyclist or facility operator can wash a bike, fill the tires with air, and do small repairs. Cargo bike rental: Facilities where customers rent cargo bikes, especially facilities whose locations and bike capabilities enable the convenient and cost-effective transport of goods for which a customer might otherwise feel compelled to use a motorized vehicle or carry the goods by hand or dolly. Traffic gardens and amusements: Car-free places where kids can become accustomed to navigating streets by riding or driving child-friendly vehicles including bikes. A broad range of facilities and associated amenities is possible, from pavement to theme park.   “A safe, accessible, and thriving biking ecosystem is essential for our city’s future,” said DCAS Commissioner Dawn M. Pinnock. “We want to tap the ideas and creativity of New Yorkers to transform City properties into resources to support cycling across the five boroughs.” “Under Mayor Adams, we have made unprecedented investment in the expansion of cycling, including over $900 million in new investment this year,” said DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez. “This RFEI is the next natural step for us to find ways for City-owned properties to both accommodate the cycling boom and support its continued growth. We thank Commissioner Pinnock and our partners at DCAS for this creative effort -- and we are excited to hear how stakeholders will want to tap this market and to see how their responses might inform our work going forward.”   In its role managing the City of New York's real estate portfolio, DCAS authorizes the license of City-owned properties by the private sector. The RFEI announced today is the first step to gather feedback that may be used to solicit requests for proposals (RFPs). The process could lead to opportunities for private entities to license City property to support the local biking ecosystem.   The goal is to find ways to make it safer, easier, and more convenient to bike New York City and to alleviate congestion on city streets. Public input will be accepted through October 21, 2022. The RFEI is available online and includes instructions on providing submissions via email.

About the NYC Department of Citywide Administrative Services   The NYC Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) makes city government work for all New Yorkers. Our commitment to equity, effectiveness, and sustainability guides our work providing City agencies with the resources and support needed to succeed, including:    Recruiting, hiring, and training City employees.   Managing 55 public buildings.   Acquiring, selling, and leasing City property.   Purchasing over $1 billion in goods and services for City agencies.   Overseeing the greenest municipal vehicle fleet in the country.   Leading the City’s efforts to reduce carbon emissions from government operations. Learn more about DCAS by visiting nyc.gov/dcas and by following us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and listening to the Inside Citywide podcast.