Smaller store of equity
rota custodulus
Description
Ubiquitous public and free bike parking on New York City sidewalks, in a smaller package, allowing for one bicycle to be safely secured.
See also larger cousin rota custodia (cn. CityRack Large Hoop Rack) which functions similarly, but with unique morphological and utility attributes.
Identification
Small sized round cast iron circle, with vertical pole perpendicular with the ground. Anchored to the ground.
Habitat
Primarily found curbside on major thoroughfares.
Range
Throughout the five boroughs.
Examples
Discussion
New York City provides over 28,000 free City racks throughout the five boroughs. These are intended to not only spark alternative forms of transportation, away from cars, but also allow people to safely Secure their bicycle away from other people’s private property. At this time, it isn’t clear what the numerical distribution of rota custodia to rota custodulus exists in NYC. Because rota custodulus is of smaller stature, it is posited that it can inhabit additional smaller niches than the larger rota custodia.
Climate impacts
Reliance on car and personal vehicle mobility is a recipe for climate disaster. In New York City, 54.5 percent of households are car-free. Creating and maintaining an excellent bicycle infrastructure promotes both safety and equity. If we don’t need to purchase and maintain a private vehicle, then we can save that money for other means. Additionally, in New York City we have a geometry problem: we aren’t making more roads. App-based ride hailing systems (such as Uber and Lyft) might be more convenient, but studies have shown that they induce demand, and increase traffic. If we are serious about reducing our dependence on fossil fuels and overall climate impact, then we need to reallocate street space away from personal vehicles and to high frequency mobility such as public transport (buses and trains) and bicycles.
