Photo Courtesy of Wiki Commons

CitiBike has already faced heated controversy over placement of its docking stations, and the City bikeshare program hasn’t even launched yet. Delays in the implementation of CitiBike are resulting from faulty software, Mayor Bloomberg reported earlier this month. Now, Alta, the company in charge of the system, is reportedly asking CitiBank for $3.5 million ahead of schedule to cover the costs of system glitches. While CitiBank is considering the request, it might result in the whole program being pushed back to spring of 2013, reports Gothamist. 

CitiBank’s payments were initially intended to be given to the company over an extended period of time, pending the bikes’ circulation, but it looks like Alta might need the money slightly ahead of schedule to correct these unforeseen issues. However, the Department of Transportation, which is overseeing the operation, told Gothamist the information was “inaccurate,” and while it would not provide details, said plans were still in motion to “launch the system.”

—Alissa Fleck

Father Fagan Park in Soho. Photo by James Kelleher.

By Alissa Fleck and Paul Bisceglio

Public outcry has prompted the Department of Transportation (DOT) and CitiBank to decide against installing one of their forthcoming 600 Citi Bike rental stations in Father Fagan Park, a small public square at the corner of Prince Street and Sixth Avenue in Soho.

Citizens banded together with the SoHo Alliance and Community Board 2 to oppose the installation on the grounds that the neighborhood’s green space is already limited and that a commercial presence would disrespect the park’s status as a memorial. The park is named for Father Richard Fagan, a former member of nearby St. Anthony’s Church who gave his life in a rectory fire while rescuing two people. Three pear trees in the park commemorate three firefighters who died while extinguishing the 1994 blaze.

The DOT was at first reluctant to relocate the station. According to SoHo Alliance Director Sean Sweeney, two separate DOT officers made it clear to the Alliance in emails a few weeks ago that they had no intention of changing their plans. Later, the DOT said it would consider relocating the station after the park’s proposed $1.5 million reconstruction in two years.

The Soho community continued to pressure the DOT, however, and attracted media attention to the issue when Father Joe Lorenzo, a pastor at St. Anthony’s, spoke out against the installation, arguing that the rental station would cheapen the park’s meaning to the neighborhood.

Sweeney told Our Town Downtown, “It’s not just a park issue. It’s a matter of respect, of memorializing the community’s heroes.”
DOT representatives met with CB2 last Friday and, after discussion, agreed to find a different location for the bikes.
The new spot has yet to be announced, but CB2 suggested using a section of the alternate side parking on MacDougal Street or the sidewalk on Houston Street between MacDougal Street and Sixth Avenue.

“Soho is pleased that DOT has listened to our requests to preserve our park and respect our community members,” said the SoHo Alliance in a release.

This is not the first time a proposed Citi Bike placement has been met with vigorous opposition. Plans to install docking stations in Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza across from the United Nations building were opposed because it would disrupt the atmosphere of the plaza and create unnecessary congestion.

Victoria Weil, president of Friends of Bogardus Garden, was also not happy about the station planned for the pedestrian plaza at Chambers and Reade streets that her group oversees. She told the Tribeca Trib she saw accidents on the horizon in the small, already cluttered space.

While the DOT spent months listening to community concerns, Kate Fillin-Yeh, director of the bike share program, told CB1 they were trying to install a station every 1,000 feet, which does not leave a lot of space for dissent.

By Megan Bungeroth

Wayward Waitress?
After his online bank statement informed him that someone had purchased a British Airways flight for $1,602.76 using his account, a local man came to the precinct to report some other suspicious activity. At the end of January, he received a call from Ticketmaster telling him that there had been an attempt to purchase tickets to a sporting event using his bank card, which he denied and reported to Ticketmaster’s fraud department. However, he didn’t call the police at the time. With the unplanned vacation tip-off, the man began to suspect that he was the victim of identity theft at the hands of a waitress. He remembered dining at a French restaurant months ago, and that the unknown waitress had held his New York state driver’s license and his Wells Fargo Visa card for over two hours—plenty of time to copy down the relevant info and start planning a stolen getaway.

Failed Stick-Up
On Monday at 3:15 p.m., a man walked into a Citibank branch on Columbus Avenue and approached a teller window. He passed a note demanding money, muttering “Hurry” as the teller gathered the cash together, but the would-be thief apparently got too impatient and suddenly left on foot, without the loot. Police are still looking for the suspect.

Theater Theft
A mother and her young son went to see a movie at the Loew’s theater on Broadway last Thursday, and mom plopped her purse on the empty seat next to her. She was distracted by her squirmy son and didn’t glance at the bag for about an hour; when she did, it was gone, as were her $200 iPhone, $99 sunglasses, $100 bag of makeup and all her money and credit cards.
Rent Switcheroo
A 23-year-old college student wanted to sublet his apartment and listed it as available for $2,300 a month on his school’s website. A woman contacted him, interested in renting the apartment. Then she “accidentally” sent a check for $3,650, she informed the student, and asked him to wire back the difference to her. He wired her $2,400 via Western Union, and when her check arrived via FedEx the next day, it bounced. The victim told police that he has no way to get back in touch with the scammer, but suspects that she’s in Turkey.

Missing Inventory
An employee at a Sprint store on Broadway was conducting inventory last week when he realized that four HTC Evo phones, worth $400 each, were missing and unaccounted for. When the store checked its security footage, they noticed a man opening a drawer and lifting the phones right out while several possible accomplices distracted employees.

Running Start
A student was standing on the corner outside Fordham University at West 60th Street and Columbus Avenue when a man ran past him and snatched his $700 iPhone right out of his hands. The perp was out of sight before the victim could try to pursue him.

Dodge Rip-Off
A visitor from New Jersey parked her 2007 Dodge Nitro on West 85th Street on Wednesday afternoon, and when she returned a short time later, saw the rear door hanging open. She could not remember if she had locked the car, but she certainly noticed that her $1,000 laptop, computer bag, tools and Kodak camera had been stolen.

Money and relationships are two things that are very dear to my heart. If you have money to spare, you are one of the select few. If you have a significant other, having low dividends can create its own headache. I, thankfully, attended college without meeting Sallie Mae, and I only hope to have a cordial relationship with her when I apply for a mortgage.

I’m in a serious, monogamous, happy relationship. When we first began dating, both of our finances were considerably low. Scratch that—we were downright broke. Love is generous, but it doesn’t pay the rent, the cable or the electric bill. But just because we were poor, we didn’t skimp on the things that brought us joy as a couple, like spending time together. We just had to get more creative in our approach. So, with great joy, I bring to you a couple of date ideas that will help you out when the bills are due.

Donate. You can incorporate this into your low-budget date by taking your significant other to donate blood, plasma, their luscious locks or their time. It technically isn’t donating if you’re being compensated, but it warrants that term because you are also saving lives. Donating plasma can get you up to $35 per weekly visit, which means couples can make up to $500 a month with regular visits. Also, if you have a head full of hair, donating it via www.buyandsellhair.com, a hair-trading website, can pay up to $100 an inch. Pay Offs: $35–$100; www.bloodbanker.com/plasma.

Focus Groups. A focus group can be a pretty lucrative dating gig. You two will simply be asked to share your opinions on an advertisement or product. Bigwig companies hire these market research companies to gain insight into their products. Most focus groups range from eight to 12 people and are no more than two hours. Focus groups pay immediately with cash or check after the survey has been completed. Pay Offs: $50–$300 an hour.

Use Your Credit Card. But not in that way: most credit cards offer cardholders special deals and discounts. For example, Bank of America grants its cardholders free access to over 150 museums on the first weekend of every month. Also, the major credit card issuers sponsor many sporting events and set aside special tickets at discounted prices for cardholders. Citibank will be selling presale tickets for the much-anticipated Jay-Z and Kanye West “Watch the Throne” tour. How about that for free culture? Pay Offs: $100-plus in savings.

Sit on Your Rump. If you are in a metropolitan area such as Los Angeles or New York, you can sign up to be a seat filler for major award shows. You may not get direct pay, but you will be rubbing elbows with celebrities at the MTV Awards, the American Music Awards and The Grammys. Also, try sitting in as part of a studio audience. These shows can be a lot of fun, and often give you the chance to meet celebrities, get autographs, free T-shirts, CDs, posters and other giveaways. Pay Offs: $1,000 in ticket savings.

Be in the Background. Being a background actor can actually be a lot of fun. The sessions are long, usually eight to 10 hours, but you can get up to $500 for being on set. You just have to be good at taking direction and promise not to get starstruck as your favorite celebrity walks across the scene. Some advertisements are looking for a special look—I saw one ad for a frumpy, hippie chick and her frumpy friends that paid $400 a day. If you come in as a couple, you can walk away with close to a month’s rent in one day. Clients are usually compensated the day of by cash or check. Pay Offs: $200-plus per assignment

Put it Up For Sale. But don’t do it online. Nix the modern eBay and Craigslist sales, and actually hold one in your front or backyard or at your local community center. As a couple, you can spend the whole day together choosing the goods to be sold, selling them and counting the profit. The fall is a good time to put items up for sale, as many consumers are browsing for interesting holiday knick-knacks for their friends and family members, and you two are looking for extra money to do the same. Pay Offs: $10–unlimited, depending on items sold.

Risk it at the Casino. If you’re one of those high-risk, balls-to-the-wall couples, then taking a trip to the casino might be right up your alley. Mind you, you also need a substantial amount of luck on your side. And you shouldn’t risk your last dollar. But if you have a little financial wiggle room to spare, you can make some money at the casino, as long as you know when to bow out. Pay Offs: Depends on your luck.

See, it pays to be together.