What was once a free parking lot under the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway is now being used for Citi Bike support. Some neighbors say they feel cheated, especially after they worked hard to keep the area clean.

“When you see it, you’re like, ‘Are you serious?’ So, no one said anything to any of us. There was no notice," said Shaquana Boykin, who lives in a public housing complex next to the BQE. "It just doesn’t make sense to keep removing free space.”

What You Need To Know

  • The Department of Transportation closed the parking lot on Aug. 5

  • The lot is now being used by Lyft to support Citi Bike operations with no set end date

  • The volunteer group Park Avenue BQE Cleanup has been cleaning and maintaining the parking lot and others under the expressway since the start of the pandemic

On Aug. 5, residents noticed a sign announcing the end of public parking near the intersection of Park and Clinton Avenues in Clinton Hill. The Department of Transportation owns this lot and says it’s now being used by Lyft to support Citi Bike operations with no set end date. That doesn’t sit well with neighbors.

“This space under Park Avenue has been a public space for decades, it’s been people’s parking," said Michael Higgins, who, along with Boykin, are part of the volunteer group Park Avenue BQE Cleanup. Members have been cleaning the parking lot and others under the expressway since the start of the pandemic. They say it’s unfair for the city to close a free lot with little to no warning, especially one that residents have been maintaining for more than two years.

“We are just trying to care for this space," said Higgins. "We’ve unfortunately seen community spaces in this neighborhood become privatized and we’ve tried to avoid that. People care, people are trying to do the best they can given the limited resources we have, but we need help.”

Boykin feels the decision to close this lot is an insult to residents who park there as well as volunteers who keep it safe and clean. She disagrees with the decision to section off an entire parking lot for storage.

"Parking under the BQE is where you feel safe," said Boykin. "You don't have to worry about tickets. No matter where you live, when you enter that community, you know where that free space is to park and you've gotta maintain that!"

In a statement, a DOT spokesperson says, “Accommodating Citi Bike in this lot is an important and necessary measure to support Citi Bike’s operations in keeping bikes well maintained and stations evenly balanced.”