'Last Ditch' Effort To Save Bike Parking Start-Up In FiDi

FINANCIAL DISTRICT, NY — A start-up is trying one "last ditch" effort to save a bike parking facility in Lower Manhattan, after its co-founder announced the "bike pod" could shutter by July.

Last fall, the start-up company Oonee opened a bike parking pod in a plaza in the Financial District. Oonee co-founders Shabazz Stuart and J. Manuel Mansylla aimed to come up with a solution for more secure, safer bike parking after Stuart had his bike stolen three times.

But a "key part" of Oonee's revenue stream — private sponsorship at the facility — proved difficult, Stuart said. Stuart announced this week that the location would shutter by early July after difficulties securing sponsorship at the kiosk.

"Unfortunately, a solution has not yet been generated and after this month, we will no longer be able to bear the financial burden of maintaining and operating this kiosk," wrote Stuart — noting some $100,000 was invested into the facility and he had to let go staff, leaving him cleaning and maintaining the space to save money.

He detailed a litany of complications securing such a sponsor — with rules about what trademark colors and product placement were allowed as well as other marketing restrictions making it difficult to find a sponsor that would meet the city's Department of Transportation guidelines, he said.

"We approached over five hundred potential sponsors via two marketing agencies. Each time, the response was the same; we lacked clear guidelines, the framework was too restrictive, and the approval process too arbitrary," he wrote.

Within hours of Stuart's announcement, City Council Speaker Corey Johnson said he would work with Stuart and DOT to keep the bike parking at the Water-Whitehall plaza.

"If we're going to break the car culture in NYC, we need a complete network of protected bike lanes as well as convenient & secure bike storage," Johnson wrote on Twitter Monday.

Stuart told Patch after his announcement, the DOT agreed to meet with Oonee June 20 in a "last ditch effort to save the kiosk."

"We're thankful that they've agreed to meet with us and hope to have a productive outcome," he said.

A Department of Transportation spokesperson did not confirm the meeting, but said the department supports high-capacity bike parking and is looking into other opportunities. The department did not respond to a question asking what opportunities it was pursuing.

The DOT spokesperson said it looks forward to working with its partners and sub-concessionaires on sponsorships — though noted those sponsorships are limited.

When Oonee launched its Lower Manhattan location last fall, some 50 subscribers had already signed up by its start-date, Stuart told the Downtown Express last October. Subscribers could initially sign up for free, with plans for prices set at $4.99 a month, $1 day passes, and $2.50 weekly passes.

The Downtown Alliance, which maintains the plaza, was a partner on the project and hosted a launch for the facility in October.

The BID's president, Jessica Lappin, said Friday that Oonee "has proven to be a wonderful addition to the Lower Manhattan neighborhood and has become a valuable amenity for more than 150 local bikers."

"We feel safe and affordable bike parking is important, and want to find a way to preserve and expand this valuable service for our community," Lappin said.

Oonee launched a prototype last April of the customizable bike garage at the Brooklyn Navy Yard.

Another facility is expected to launch this summer at the Atlantic Terminal in Brooklyn and a second to-be-announced location, Stuart said.

When Stuart announced the possible closure, one Twitter user, K. Van Itallie, wrote, "I use [the bike parking] every day — it's near my office and without it I am left with no good parking option. I am not alone. Please save it!"