STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Cyclists are forced to ride in danger as cars continue to park in marked bike lanes along a stretch of Richmond Terrace in St. George.

Over the past two weeks, one concerned residents has filed three separate complaints with 311, citing a continuing disregard for the safety of bikers by motorists parked along the stretch between Schuyler and Wall streets.

COMPLAINTS FILED



In early February, Rob Foran of Tompkinsville, a member of the Staten Island Transportation Alternatives Committee, filed his first complaint with the city with a phone call to 311.

"I called up to let [the city] know the cars were completely blocking bike riders from traveling safely," he told the Advance.

A strip of the Richmond Terrace sidewalk, bordering the construction of the Empire Outlets, has been fenced off -- with temporary barriers placed on the roadway to provide protection for the pedestrian walkway.

But the reconfiguration has led to motorists illegally parking in the designated bike path.

"The bike lane is supposed to be a safety measure," said Foran. "When the city goes through the trouble to create a bike lane, and people circumvent that for convenience, it puts people in danger."

GETTING THE 'RUN-AROUND'

But when he checked the service request status of his 311 complaint two days later on the nyc.gov website, it said that authorities had investigated the complaint and "police action was not necessary."

So Foran filed a second complaint, after he says someone from 311 recommended he file the request for service under "blocked sidewalk," as opposed to "blocked bike lane" to ensure a satisfactory result.

But that didn't work either.

The second report was also quickly closed, echoing the "no action needed" response from his first inquiry.

"It's a really frustrating process," he told the Advance.

Foran then filed a third complaint on Feb. 11 through the Department of Transportation's website. He detailed the nearby construction of the Empire Outlets, he referenced the temporary barriers for pedestrian sidewalks, and explained how cars continued to park in clearly marked bike lanes.

This was the online response he received from 311:

"The Police Department responded to the complaint and a report was prepared. Due to construction on north side of street, temp barriers have been erected that push the legal parking into the bike lane. At the present moment, there are no signs to denote that parking along this temp barrier is unauthorized."

"I didn't understand how that was possible," said Foran. "How are you allowed to park in a bike lane?"

WHAT DOES THE LAW SAY?

According to the City's Department of Transportation Traffic Rules, Foran's concerns are justified.

"It is illegal for a vehicle to block or obstruct a bike lane. Stopping, standing, and parking is prohibited" in all bike lanes throughout the New York City, state several official city websites.

Another online document, posted by the DOT, NYPD and the mayor's office, states that "you are subject to a summons" if caught violating any parking regulation in a bike lane.

"If a vehicle or object obstructs a bike lane and a crash occurs, that person or company can be liable if the obstruction was the proximate cause of the crash and injury," it adds.

A spokesman for the DOT has not responded to a request for a comment on the issue.

A police officer at the 120th Precinct -- which is located across the street from the blocked lane -- said he was "unaware of the parking" and chose not to comment when reached by the Advance.

"It's always going to be an uphill battle for police to enforce bike lane laws," said Foran. "It completely undermines the city's 'Vision Zero' agenda."

The obstruction complaint comes on the heels of a NYC Parks and National Parks Service push to bring bicycle rental stations to select locations on Staten Island -- one of them would be near the St. George ferry terminal.