BRONX W www.BXTimes.com EEKLY July 21, 2019 10
BY PATRICK ROCCHIO
A Bronx business improvement district
responded affirmatively to a radio
commentator who thinks that its
boundaries should be enlarged.
Rob Walsh, a former commissioner
of the NYC Department of Small Business
Services for 12 years, used his
1010 WINS radio segment on small enterprise
to call for the expansion of the
Kingsbridge Business Improvement
District.
On a recent segment of his show,
‘The Bottom Line for Small Business,’
Walsh recommended that the Kingsbridge
BID enlarge its service area.
Walsh stated that visitors to West
238th Street, which is outside the BID
zone, could then shop in a thriving
commercial corridor. The area’s appeal
is now hampered by unsightly
Citi Bike stations scheduled for south Bronx nabes
BY ALEX MITCHELL
The Bronx will be riding
in style as Citi Bike announced
that it will soon
be peddling into the borough
and other parts of the
city on Tuesday, July 16.
As part of the planned
expansion agreement with
the Mayor de Blasio Administration,
the new cycle
of docked bike rentals
will be coming to Mott Haven,
Melrose, Port Morris,
Highbridge, Claremont,
Morrisania, Longwood,
Concourse and Mount
Eden within the next fi ve
years.
“I am so excited that the
Bronx will fi nally be included
in the Citi Bike program,
which has already
become an important part
of New York City’s transportation
grid,” said Borough
President Ruben Diaz
Jr. after the announcement
was made on the steps of
the Bronx County Building.
Afterwards, he took a
test ride with offi cials of
the NYC Department of
Transportation and Citi
Bike up and down the
Grand Concourse to celebrate
the two-wheeled
milestone.
“Connecting our borough
to the Citi Bike network
will empower so
many Bronxites to travel
outside their neighborhood
for job opportunities,
cultural events and to visit
friends and family,” Diaz
continued.
The borough president
has also long imagined developing
a Bronx greenway
along the Major Deegan interstate
that would bring
a connecting bicycle trail
uptown from the Hudson
Valley, which Citi Bikes
would be ideal for.
Citi Bike also announced
a sponsored
$300,000 expansion grant
program for local nonprofi
ts to grow bike share
ridership in the soon-to-be
expanded neighborhoods
in addition to a new, threewheeled
handcycle pilot
program for those with
disabilities.
Those low to the ground,
hand-controlled and adaptive
handicap accessible
bicycles also hit the road
during the Bronx joyride.
According to the city
announcement, they’re
also for cyclists that aren’t
so graceful on two wheels.
“It is my hope that we
can quickly accelerate this
growth to ensure that every
neighborhood have
access to innovative and
affordable alternatives,”
Assemblyman Marcos
Crespo said after the announcement.
“As the Bronx continues
to grow and prosper,
so must our transportation
options,” he continued
mentioning that the long
overdue initiative could
quickly accelerate neighborhood
growth throughout
the south Bronx.
The new opportunity for
this affordable transportation
alternative was made
possible through an agreement
between the city and
Lyft that solidifi ed a $100
million investment from
the mobile rideshare giant
last November.
As part of the planned
expansion, riders can now
rent a Citi Bike through
the Lyft app as well.
“With double the territory
and triple the number
of bikes over the next
few years, Citi Bike will
become an even better
option for travel around
New York City,” de Blasio
said, mentioning that
the “expansion will help
us build a more fair and
equitable city for all New
Yorkers.
These new bike docks
will be installed by 2020
and fully operational by
2023 to compliment the
over 13,000 two wheelers
at nearly 800 stations, according
to the mayor’s offi
ce.
During the fall, the
community boards representing
the neighborhoods
receiving the bikes
will fi rst begin to determine
where to put the new
Citi Bike stations.
Borough President Ruben, Diaz, Jr. joins the DOT and other to celebrate Citi Bike coming to the Bronx.
NYC DOT Twitter
trash.
He said that the Kingsbridge BID
was asked to expand the BID service
area a couple of blocks north a year
ago, but haven’t taken any action.
BIDs typically offer enhanced sanitation
services in addition to what is
provided by the city.
Katherine Broihier, executive director
of the Kingsbridge BID, said that
the BID’s board is exploring the option
of expansion, not only along Broadway
to West 238th Street from its current
boundary at West 236th Street but also
elsewhere.
Based on her understanding, Broihier
said that she believes Walsh would
like to see the BID expand up along
Broadway from its current boundary
to West 238th Street, and then onto the
street itself, where there are a mixture
of residences and commercial establishments.
It is true that if the BID were to expand,
services like increased sanitation
and street decoration would follow,
she noted.
But the expansion would pose other
issues, she said, because residences
and non-profit institutions don’t pay
assessment fees to support the BID like
commercial business property owners
do. There are residential buildings
along West 238th Street.
Additionally, she said the area between
West 236th Street and West
238th Street contains more industrial
oriented businesses that may not be
interested in the ‘curb appeal’ of their
properties.
“Being that (Kingsbridge) is a small
BID…this is going to be something
that is going to be chewed on for a
number of months before any decision
is made,” she said, adding if the board
were to look at expansion, East 233rd
Street might be more feasible.
In addition to being a radio commentator,
a Manhattan College press
release from July 2018 announced that
Walsh was appointed as senior advisor
for strategic partnerships for the college,
which is located a few blocks to
the north of the BID service area on
Manhattan College Parkway.
Kingsbridge BID director responds
to request for its expansion
Conditions like these, which include trash on the street near West 238th Street and Broadway, may
illustrate why an argument is being advanced to expand the Kingsbridge Business Improvement District.
Photo courtesy of Robert Walsh
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