Redpath

Amazon just announced their picks for HQ2-split between Crystal City VA and Long Island City in Queens.
One of their requirements was good, existing, public transportation. In particular bike lanes and cycling infrastructure. They supposedly even wanted to see them to insure they actually existed.
So what did they actually get? Do these areas actually have 'good' cycling infrastructure? And public transportation?
Hoping the NYC bike commuters on this site or others that have actually ridden in these areas could shed some light on the actual state of affairs here. Thanks.

alan s 

Darth Lefty 

1nterceptor

"Do these areas actually have 'good' cycling infrastructure? And public transportation?"

Aye, LIC-NYC is ok on both. It's a mixed residential and commercial zone.
And if the building is tall enough; nice views of Manhattan:

Long Island City, NYC by 1nterceptor, on Flickr

noglider 

There is a bike lane on almost every street now. We even have bike lanes where we would be better off without them, but I say that as someone who prefers mixing in with traffic. There are subways and buses and Citi Bike stations.

Citi Bike is pretty agile at putting in new stations, so when need increases, they will be there. They even have valet service at the most heavily used stations. Actually, the term is misleading. Valet service means they have an overflow cache of bikes ready to put into docks when they empty out, and move pull bikes from docks into the cache when the docks fill up.

JonathanGennick 

There are stations now near my goto LIC hotel that have been put in within maybe the last year or two. Seeing them always makes me think I should take Citibike over the Queensboro one day rather than the subway. And of course, subway access is plentiful around the Queens side of that bridge. It's a convenient and cost-effective area for anyone with business in Manhattan.

fietsbob

Played a bunch of governments like a fiddle and got taxpayers
to subsidize their trillion dollar company.

nice dupes guys.. played it just like they planned..






....

noglider 

Yeah I'm not happy about that. There is a NY Times opinion piece about how it will destroy more jobs than it will create. And why does the richest company need subsidies? What principle does that fall under? There are companies that have become too big and powerful.

Cyclist0108

Corporate welfare state.

He makes $191k per minute.

bobwysiwyg

Yup. Always thought tax abatement was a scam. I've yet to see proof, down the road, proving they were a success as advertised. Happens at every level and jurisdiction.

unterhausen

moderator's note: please avoid continuing the political discussion, thanks

Gresp15C

Since the projects will affect housing availability in their own immediate vicinity, the transportation situation will depend on where their employees are actually able to live.

RHETTORIC

Annnnddddd.... Let's get back to any bike-related topics this thread had to begin with. No politics here.

vol

Didn't see this thread when I posted on the Northeast regional discussion forum, so I copy and paste my post there below. My main concerns are: a big chunk of tax money will be paid to Amazon, that will affect the funding for other needy areas of improvement including, perhaps, bike safety related projects. Also, how does HQ2 relate to warehouses? Does it mean there will be more trucks? Definitely there will be more traffic, and it will push the housing prices even higher in the already sky high city, seeing that the average Amazon employee salary is $150,000. I think it's ridiculous for such a big rich company to ask for NYC's subsidies. There must be a reason this was not announced before the Election Day when Cuomo was running for reelection.

Here is my post on the other forum:

There are a lot of outcries about this now. Complaints include its effect on the traffic, local businesses, the housing market, ... not to mention the subsidies Amazon will receive that come from the tax money.

from NY taxpayers to pay $48,000 per Amazon HQ job - Story | WNYW

Something will have to make way for this, right? Would that imply less money for future cycling safety projects? OTOH I imagine most new Amazon HQ2 employees will be young people and many may take up bike commuting even though they make an average of $150,000, according to https://www.cnbc.com/2018/11/13/amaz...nashville.html

Papa Tom

I listened, on the edge of my seat, to an analysis of this on NPR the other day. In addition to the points mentioned above, one of the "experts" pointed out that, historically, when a company of this size moves into an area and begins siphoning workers from other businesses, making traffic and parking a nightmare, and forcing up rents for adjacent properties, the area soon begins to lose surrounding businesses at a pace that, effectively, wipes out any "gains" that seem apparent at the beginning.

This might mean that all the worry about additional congestion and deteriorating conditions for cyclists will be moot within a few years of Amazon's opening, but it can also mean that the additional revenues the politicians are promising will go toward improved infrastructure will never really materialize. I live on Long Island, so dollars for improved bike lanes will never trickle down here from the city. But those of you who might be buying into the promise that Amazon is going to build partitioned bike lanes and provide free coffee and donuts to all cyclists on Queens Boulevard every morning should really be watching this closely!

alan s 

noglider 

You are showing your ignorance. We have tons of tech companies here and a primo labor pool. It's not the greatest place for cycling, but it's better than most in the US and probably a ton better than you think.

JonathanGennick 

Oh my, yes. NYC has unbelievable tech talent. The finance world alone drives a tremendous amount of tech, but there are also game developers, creative coders, makers, web developers, database experts, and an endless number of evening meetups on every tech topic imaginable.

Papa Tom

For those of you outside New York, Long Island City is not in New York City proper. It's in the very congested suburb of Queens, a county just outside of Manhattan. I haven't spent a lot of time in LIC in a number of years, but I don't remember the cycling infrastructure being anywhere near as advanced as that of Manhattan. Queens Boulevard, a major thoroughfare through this area, is one of the most dangerous roads in the country, having been given the nickname the "Boulevard of Death" a few years back. And from what I remember of the Queensbridge low-income housing project, which is right next to the planned Amazon headquarters, it's not the kind of place you really want to ride or park a bicycle.

I dunno about all this. It kind of reeks of Atlantic City, which promised jobs, jobs, jobs for the locals and brought in mostly outside workers and a lot of crime and homelessness.

bobwysiwyg

I don't wish to contradict, but Long Island City is a part of New York City. It is not in Manhattan, but New York City has five boroughs one of which is Manhattan and another is Queens. Long Island City is part of the borough of Queens.

alan s 

Papa Tom

I thought I covered that by saying it is not in "NYC proper," but yes, Queens, Brooklyn (Kings), Staten Island, da Bronx, and Manhattan are the five boros of New York City. Generally, though, when people outside of this area think of "New York City," they are thinking about Manhattan. Sorry if I muddied the water for anybody.

bobwysiwyg

It hasn't changed, still connects those three boroughs.

vol

Except the Triborough Bridge is now called the RFK Bridge.

Won't that take business from Starbucks? or maybe Amazon will buy Starbucks?

fietsbob

A boat is better on that river .. Bolsonaro is their president, now.






....