Citi Bike is on the move again. The popular bikesharing service is set to start its latest expansion in New York City next week to add 2,000 more bikes and 140 additional docking stations.
The expansion starts Sept. 12 in Harlem, Astoria, Long Island City, Crown Heights and Prospect Heights. In addition to growing Citi Bike’s network into new neighborhoods, phase two of the service’s growth will also add docking stations and bikes to current neighborhoods.
“With this round of Citi Bike expansion, bikeshare 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,” Department of Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg said in a statement.
More than 450 jobs have been created since Citi Bike launched in early 2013, said Jay Walder, president and CEO of Motivate, which operates Citi Bike.
“We’ve been able to turn urban bikeshare from an interesting experiment into a crucial component of our city’s transit network,” he added.
Citi Bike, which is the largest bikeshare in the U.S., has had record-breaking ridership, logging 14 million rides in 2016, 4 million more than the previous year, and hitting 70,000 rides in a single day this past June.
By the end of the year, the service will have 12,000 bikes at more than 600 stations throughout the city. Officials said that this is the final planned expansion of Citi Bike, but the “DOT expects to bring bikeshare to more New Yorkers and is actively exploring all available options for doing so.”
Citi Bike offers a $12 day pass with 24-hour access and a three-day, 72-hour pass for $24. Both feature unlimited 30-minute rides, with each additional 15 minutes an extra $4. Annual membership is $163 and includes the first 45 minutes of each ride. Each additional 15 minutes is $2.50.
Reduced memberships are available for residents of the NYC Housing Authority, first-year IDNYC cardholders and certain credit union members. Visit citibikenyc.com for more info.
