Citi Bike will add 2,000 bikes and 140 new stations this fall
Photo courtesy of Nick Harris on Flickr
Since it was first introduced to New York City in 2013, Citi Bike, a bike-share program, has grown from operating 6,000 bikes to a current total of 10,000 bikes in over 600 locations. Looking to expand even further, Citi Bike will add 2,000 bikes and 140 new stations in Long Island City, Astoria, Crown Heights and Prospect Heights. According to Metro, the expansion will begin on Sept. 12 and continue until the end of the year.
Photo courtesy of Pan S on Flickr
Citi Bike’s expansion also includes adding more docking stations and bikes to neighborhoods it already serves. In a statement, Department of Transportation Commissioner (DOT) Polly Trottenberg said: “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.”
As the biggest bike-share in the country, Citi Bike tallied 14 million rides in 2016, a whopping 4 million more rides than in 2015. This past June, more than 70,000 rides were taken in just a single day. According to the CEO of Motivate, which runs Citi Bike, more than 450 jobs have been created since starting in 2013.
As 6sqft covered earlier this summer, more New Yorkers are commuting to work by bike than any other city in the country, taking an average of 450,000 daily bike trips. In 2005, the average was just 170,000 bike trips. As the number of cyclists in the city skyrockets, the DOT announced in August that 10 miles of protected bicycle lanes will be added, as well as allocating 50 miles of regular bikeways annually, beginning this year.
In August, start-up company Spin attempted to launch a similar bike-sharing service that would be “dockless,” allowing riders to unlock and park bikes anywhere through a mobile app. Spin planned to create a pilot program in Rockaway, Queens but received a cease-and-desist letter from DOT. The city currently only has a contract with Citi Bike.
Renting a Citi Bike costs $12 for a day pass with 24-hour access and $24 for a three-day, 72-hour pass. Annual membership runs $163 and includes the first 45 minutes of every ride, with every additional 15 minutes costing $2.50. NYCHA residents, first-year IDNYC cardholders, and some credit union members may qualify for reduced memberships.
[Via Metro]
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