Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press Release #17-065
Tuesday, September 5, 2017
Contact: Scott Gastel/Brian Zumhagen (212) 839-4850

CITI Bike Begins Fall 2017 Expansion Into New Neighborhoods

Beginning September 12th, country’s largest bike-share program will add 2000 new bikes & 140 new stations in Harlem, Astoria, Long Island City, Crown Heights and Prospect Heights; Network has doubled since launch in 2013 -- from 6,000 to 12,000 Bikes

DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg and Jay Walder, President & CEO of Citi Bike operator Motivate announced today that Citi Bike is continuing its expansion this fall, starting September 12th, bringing 2,000 bikes and 140 new stations to three boroughs: Harlem up to 130th Street in Manhattan; Astoria and Long Island City in Queens; and Crown Heights and Prospect Heights in Brooklyn. This year’s growth fulfills a commitment to double the bike-share system’s size by the end of 2017.

“With this round of Citi Bike expansion, bike share will now cover more than 30 square miles, with more New Yorkers able to take advantage of this fast, affordable, convenient and sustainable transportation option,” said Department of Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg. “More than just adding neighborhoods to the bike share network, Citi Bike is also bringing more bikes and stations to already established neighborhoods. I thank our partners at Motivate; after just over four years on the streets of New York City, it’s now difficult to imagine a New York City without Citi Bike.”

“As we proceed with phase two of Citi Bike’s expansion, we celebrate one of the most successful public private partnerships in the history of our city,” said Jay Walder, President & CEO of Motivate, the company that operates Citi Bike. “By working in partnership with the Department of Transportation, we’ve been able to create more than 450 good new jobs, we’ve engaged New Yorkers and visitors in a healthy, fun and safe way to get around the city, and we’ve been able to turn urban bike share from an interesting experiment into a crucial component of our city’s transit network. We look forward to building on our joint success.”

”We are proud of our role in helping to create the first new major form of public transportation in New York City in more than 100 years,” said Citi Head of Public Affairs Edward Skyler. “More than that, however, we deeply appreciate the Citi Bike riders who bring this program to life and make it such a success. We’re glad to help bring this sustainable mode of transportation to even more people who can benefit from it."

Launched in the spring of 2013, Citi Bike faced significant challenges after its first anniversary that put future expansion in jeopardy. But the de Blasio administration maintained its commitment to bike share, successfully securing new management and a new infusion of private capital to stabilize the system, improve service, and commence a massive new expansion.

As Citi Bike grows, its popularity continues to surge. The system has broken its own ridership records year over year, with 10 million rides taken in 2015 and 14 million rides in 2016. This past June, ridership exceeded 70,000 rides in a single day for the first time. The Citi Bike system continues to be the largest bike share network in the country, followed by other systems which Motivate operates including Divvy in Chicago, Hubway in Boston and Ford GoBike in the Bay Area.

This expansion of Citi Bike in Queens will bring seven additional stations to existing portions of the system in Long Island City to improve station density in the neighborhood. A denser network helps ensure that a Citi Bike station is always close at hand, providing a more robust, reliable service for seasoned riders and first-time users alike.

The annual cost of a Citi Bike membership is $163 or $14.95/month with an annual commitment. NYCHA residents and members of select community development credit unions are eligible to receive discounted $5/month memberships.

New York City remains committed to the further expansion of bike share. While there are no current plans to grow beyond this year’s installations, DOT expects to bring bike share to more New Yorkers and is actively exploring all available options for doing so.

Citi Bike has 10,000 bikes at over 600 stations, and will have 12,000 bikes by the end of this year. Stations are currently located every few blocks in Manhattan as far north as 110th Street and in the Brooklyn neighborhoods of Downtown Brooklyn, DUMBO, Brooklyn Heights, Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Red Hook, Park Slope, Boerum Hill, Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens, Gowanus, Williamsburg, and Greenpoint along with Long Island City, Queens.

Annual members receive an electronic key to undock a bike from any station, allowing unlimited trips up to 45 minutes without incurring any additional costs. Twenty-four-hour and three-day passes are available for purchase at any Citi Bike station or through the Citi Bike app and provide unlimited 30-minute trips. Reduced cost memberships are available for NYCHA residents and members of select credit unions throughout the city, and for IDNYC holders in their first year of membership.

Learn more at citibikenyc.com

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