NEW YORK— Mayor Bill de Blasio, DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg and Lyft announced July 20 that Citi Bike recently achieved its 100 millionth ride and will install its 1,000th station in New York City since the system's launch in May 2013.
Citi Bike, currently expanding to more of the Bronx and Upper Manhattan and adding thousands of ebikes through the rest of the year, saw record ridership in 2019 and is expected to break last year's record of more than 100,000 rides across the system in a single day. With a previous $100 million commitment from Lyft, the system is doubling its footprint by 35 square miles and increasing the number of bikes to 40,000.
“Rebuilding a fairer, better city means giving New Yorkers more ways than ever to move around,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “In just seven years, Citi Bike has become a New York institution. I’m proud to stand with them in celebrating this milestone, and I look forward to working with them to expand cycling options even further in the months and years to come.”
“As someone who has herself relied on Citi Bike hundreds of times to get where I need to go, I know that 100 million rides on the continent’s largest and best bikeshare system is an enormous achievement,” said DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg. “We extend our congratulations to the entire team at Lyft on this milestone. They have worked hard and creatively to make Citi Bike an even more vital transit option during the COVID-19 crisis — with its Critical Worker Program and continued expansion this year into upper Manhattan and the Bronx.”
"In less than a decade Citi Bike has become a beloved fixture of New York City. The success of Citi Bike has consistently shown the demand for sustainable transportation in general and biking in particular is here, we just need to build the infrastructure to match. I look forward to continuing to fight for expanded Citi Bike throughout the five boroughs, especially in neighborhoods starved for transit options,” said Council Speaker Corey Johnson.
"These new Citi Bike stations in Northern Manhattan and the South Bronx will allow our local residents to fully enjoy the outdoors. We must continue to expand these stations into all the outer-boroughs and ensure they are accessible to low-income New Yorkers. Additionally, we must continue to increase the number of protected bike lanes miles across the City to keep cyclists safe," said Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez, Chairman of the Transportation Committee. "The opening of our City's streets has allowed New Yorkers to experience the City in a new re-envisioned way. I will continue working alongside City Hall, Speaker Johnson, DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg, Lyft, and advocates to ensure we continue expanding Citi Bike stations and protected bike lanes all throughout the city.“
"Lyft is thrilled to celebrate 100 million rides on Citi Bike and to soon expand the system to more than 1,000 stations across New York," said Laura Fox, General Manager for Citi Bike at Lyft. "We're proud to provide a sustainable, affordable mode of transportation to New Yorkers and to operate one of the few bikeshare systems in the world to hit this major milestone. We look forward to our continued partnership with NYCDOT and Mayor De Blasio and growing this great system."
“Citi is extremely proud of our role in helping to create such an iconic and sustainable form of public transportation that now, at the 100 million-ride mark, is also playing a crucial role for New Yorkers during the pandemic,” said Ed Skyler, Citi’s Head of Public Affairs. “We deeply appreciate all of the riders who over the past seven-plus years have made Citi Bike a model for bike share programs worldwide.”
Citi Bike is the most widely used bikeshare system in the nation and one of few bikeshare systems around the world to hit the milestone of 100 million all-time rides. Since the system's launch, Citi Bike riders have pedaled more than 120 million miles and offset more than 97 million pounds of carbon and counting. As part of its current Phase 3 expansion, Citi Bike will also install the system’s 1,000th station in August, planned to be at East 160th Street & Tinton Avenue in the Bronx.
Annual ridership has steadily increased in recent years, as residents and visitors alike turn to the blue bikes to move around New York City. Riders took 16.7 million trips in 2017, 17.9 million in 2018 and nearly 21 million in 2019. In 2020, Citi Bike has been meeting the needs of this unique moment, providing New Yorkers with an affordable, reliable, sustainable, and socially distant way to get around. Nearly 30,000 critical workers on the frontlines of the COVID-19 crisis have been given free Citi Bike memberships through the system’s Critical Workforce Membership Program and a $1 million investment from Citi and Mastercard.
Lyft’s critical workforce programs have also created a record high in female bikeshare membership. In New York City, 61.7% of the members of the critical worker program were female. As a result, the share of female membership in the Citi Bike system (currently at 37.8% of active members) has increased by 3.4 percentage points since May 2020, and by 5.1 percentage points compared to June 2019.
Citi Bike's Phase 3 expansion is already in progress and will be completed by the end of 2023, doubling the footprint of the network. Citi Bike has 15,000 bikes at nearly 1,000 stations and works with more than 62 community partners across New York City. Late last year, Lyft also launched the first Equity Advisory Council for bikeshare, gathering together 20 organizations to provide an equity lens and guidance for Citi Bike’s expansion.
"In just a few years, Citi Bike has become an indispensable part of our transit network, and has made cycling a mainstream mode of transport in New York City," said Transportation Alternatives Executive Director Danny Harris. "As the system's footprint continues to grow, it will expand transportation options for New Yorkers in all corners of the city."
Daily ridership continues to grow as well: the largest bikeshare system in North America regularly records more than 90,000 rides per day in peak season. Riders recently set the new daily ridership record, clocking 100,379 rides on September 21, 2019. Hundreds of ebikes have been added to the system in 2020, with thousands more added by the end of the year. While classic bikes average 4.6 rides per day, Citi Bike riders are showing their appreciation for ebikes which average 10 rides each day.
The annual cost of a Citi Bike membership is $179 with an annual commitment. NYCHA residents, SNAP recipients, and members of select community development credit unions are eligible to receive discounted $5/month memberships. Seven thousand New Yorkers access reliable transportation through our Reduced Fare Bikeshare program, presented by Healthfirst.
Hundreds of companies also subsidize annual memberships for their employees as a wellness, transportation, or recreation benefit. Citi Bike’s Bike for Business program has received a number of recent inquiries from organizations as they develop their Back to Office plans. More info available: citibikenyc.com/corporate.
Annual members can unlock a bike from any station, allowing unlimited free trips up to 45 minutes on classic bikes as well as reduced per-minute ebike fees. Day Passes are available for purchase at any Citi Bike station or through the Citi Bike app and provide unlimited 30-minute trips.
