Coronavirus Means WaHi Needs Citibikes Now, Not Later, Pol Says

WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, NY — Uptown council member and chair of the Transportation Committee Ydanis Rodriguez is calling for sweeping changes to the city's transportation network to help New Yorkers cope during the coronavirus pandemic.

Rodriguez asked this week that the city suspend all parking meters, put in temporary bike lanes, decriminalize e-bikes used by delivery workers and speed up the expansion of Citibike, which was slated to come to his district in the Bronx and Washington Heights in the next few years.

"As New Yorkers are doing their best to ensure they remain home and isolated, we must also think about the thousands of New Yorkers that still must report to work," Rodriguez said in a statement Tuesday.

"The MTA has been expanding their efforts to ensure that all trains, buses, and ferries are cleaned regularly. However, our efforts to ensure we minimize and reduce exposure to COVID-19 must not stop there."

Rodriguez' call for action comes as restaurants and bars across New York City, and the tri-state area, shut down and move to only takeout and delivery.

The restaurant shutdown led him and Brooklyn Council Member Carlos Menchaca, along with other activists, to ask for delivery e-bikes to be decriminalized so that increased demand on delivery workers doesn't also mean they will need to worry about tickets and fines.

Mayor Bill de Blasio has already said he would instruct the NYPD to suspend enforcement against e-bike riders, but advocates argue that the temporary measure is not enough.

The increase in food deliveries will also only compound an ongoing increase in bike ridership since officials advised New Yorkers avoid large crowds on public transportation, Rodriguez said.

The spike led to his additional calls for more Citibikes in Northern Manhattan and the addition of temporary bike lanes.

"During this time New Yorkers should have multiple alternative modes of transportation available," he said.

The council member also asked for a suspension on parking meters so that New Yorkers who are staying inside don't need to worry about moving their cars or corresponding parking tickets.

"This measure would only temporarily suspend parking meters and the issuance of parking tickets correlated to parking meters," he said. "New Yorkers should not have to face fines or costs associated with parking meters during this time."