Plaza Hotel Guests Split On Citi Bike Controversy

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The iconic Plaza Hotel is known for its beauty inside and out. The hotel's management, however, calls the 58-bike Citi Bike rack that sits steps from  from its lobby an "eyesore."

The hotel filed a lawsuit in October to have the bike racks removed. Plaza officials say the city reneged on a promise to relocate the bikes, which is why they are moving forward with the suit.

Guests at the upscale Midtown hotel, however, were divided about the racks.

One man told 1010 WINS' Glenn Schuck: "It doesn't suit the Plaza's image. If I had my druthers, I wouldn't see it there."

Cabs pulling up to the hotel cannot let passengers out on one side because they are blocked by the racks, Schuck reported.

But another guest said she feels the bike rack should stay, arguing the bikes are part of 21st-century New York.

"The city's evolving," she said. "This is part of it. I see more people on bikes now than I ever saw before, and it's because of the convenience and the availability of them everywhere.

"It would be ridiculous not to have one here," she added.

One guest from Maryland said the Plaza should grin and bear it.

"I recognize their sense of tradition and history, and I can appreciate their feelings," said one guest from Maryland. "But I think it comes down to weighing the positive benefits of bicycling."

In its lawsuit, the Plaza also alleges the bike rack is "unnecessary when there are other alternatives" and that bike parking has taken away a lane of traffic, leading to congestion in front of the hotel.

In October, the city's law department said it is "confident that the installation was proper."

You May Also Be Interested In These Stories

(TM and © Copyright 2014 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2014 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)