As a cyclist who has been enjoying the recent additions of bike lanes in New York City, an article on the cover recent article in Chelsea Now, a neighborhood newspaper, caught my attention. It reported on local businesses who claimed to be losing sales due to a bike lane being installed on Eighth Avenue supplanting parking spaces. The argument seemed to parallel the same one that came bars and restaurants claiming that the smoking ban would harm their business, when in fact, the opposite has happened.
While the article was decidedly one-sided (no cyclists, pedestrians or shoppers were interviewed), it does raise the issue of the balance between businesses and overall city life. In the past year or so, the Bloomberg administration has made quality of life a priority, with the renovation of parks, installation of 300 miles of bike paths, and plan to plant 1 million trees. Not withstanding the few parking spaces lost, ultimately, this will get more people out and about on the streets, and that will be good for business.
WAKE UP CALL: We are all part of one city. Businesses, the government and nonprofits need to work together in the best interests of everyone. Renewing the quality of life for all, will ultimately create a vital city that will bring in tax revenue, keep businesses afloat and provide funding for nonprofits.
