New Yorkers know the many benefits of biking here, but what better way to celebrate New York City’s Car Free Earth Day on Saturday than by taking a free spin on a Citi Bike?
Thanks to a partnership with MasterCard, Citi Bike riders can obtain a free day pass through citibikenyc.com/carfreeday or the bikeshare’s app.
“They say there’s no such thing as a free lunch, but on Car Free Earth Day, free Citi Bike rides are the real deal,” said Citi Bike General Manager Kris Sandor. “New York is one of the best cities in the nation to explore by bike, and there’s no better day to try out — for free — one of the most fun, healthy and eco-friendly ways to get around town.”
Saturday’s Car Free Earth Day, which comes the day before real Earth Day, opens up about 30 blocks of Broadway, from Times Square to Union Square, to pedestrians and cyclists from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Additionally, nine blocks along St. Nicholas Ave. in Washington Heights, between West 181st and West 190th St., will also be car-free from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday.
Certain sections of both areas will offer Car Free Earth Day programming centered on climate change, sustainability and more. Similar events and a parade will also take place at Albee Square and Albee Square West in Downtown Brooklyn from 1-5 p.m. on Saturday.
Citi Bike will have a Car Free Earth Day tent at Broadway and 22nd Street to New Yorkers who may need some help getting comfortable on a bike, and new customers can also save $25 on an annual membership. Current members can recycle their key fob and sign up to unlock Citi Bikes right from the app at the tent as well and receive a giveaway when they do so.
Annual Citi Bike memberships cost $169 for 365 days of unlimited, 45-minute rides. One-day and three-day passes offer unlimited 30-minute trips for $12 and $24, respectively. Citi cardholders receive a 10 percent discount on annual memberships, while some employees at select city-based companies can receive subsidized annual memberships as well.
Citi Bike sustainability
Last year, Citi Bike riders:
• took more than 16.5 million rides
• saved more than 23 million pounds of carbon from going into the atmosphere — the equivalent amount of carbon sequestered by 45,454 acres of forests in a single year
