The Plaza hotel is suing the city and Citibank — complaining in scorching court papers that the block-long bike rack outside the landmark building is a traffic-clogging, advertising-festooned “eyesore.”
The row of bright-blue Citi Bikes that now stands across from the hotel along Grand Army Plaza is an affront to both architecture and city drivers, according to the suit.
“The bicycle rack is not only an eyesore, stuck squarely in between two of the city’s most famous designated landmarks, but it came at the expense of a full lane of traffic,” the suit claims.
The Citi Bike rack has reduced the four-lane drive across from the hotel’s main entrance to three, causing frequent pileups, court papers allege, adding it is also a magnet for litter.
In asking that the rack be immediately yanked, Plaza hotel lawyer Steven Sladkus argues that the city violated its own laws by failing to conduct the required environmental-impact review. The city also erred by allowing ads on a piece of street furniture, according to the suit, which names the Department of Transportation and its bike-share program as defendants, along with Citibank.
“To place racks in between two of New York City’s iconic landmarks seems rather unnecessary when there are very viable other alternatives,” said Sladkus, who has been going to bat for well-heeled residents “victimized” by Citi Bike racks near their properties.
Citibank declined to comment and Citi Bike did not respond to a request for comment. A spokeswoman for the city Law Department said, “We are confident that the installation was proper.”