Citi Bike

Citi Bike
Overview
Locale New York City
Transit type Bicycle sharing system
Number of stations 332
Daily ridership 34,176 [1]
Website www.citibikenyc.com
Operation
Began operation May 27, 2013
Operator(s) NYC Bike Share, LLC, a subsidiary of Alta Bicycle Share, Inc.[2]
Number of vehicles 6,000 (official)[3]

Citi Bike is a privately owned public bicycle sharing system that serves parts of New York City. It is the largest bike sharing program in the United States.[3][4]

Alta Bicycle Share was selected in September 2011 to develop and operate the system using Montreal's Bixi technology.[5] The system, which operates without city subsidy,[6] is named for Citigroup, which spent US$41 million to be its lead sponsor for six years.[7] The system opened to the public in May 2013 with 332 stations and officially with 6,000 bikes.[3] As of August 31, 2014, the total number of annual subscribers is 93,184, and Citi Bike riders took an average of 34,176 rides per day.[1]

On October 29, 2014, Alta Bicycle Share and the City of New York announced an agreement to expand and improve the Citi Bike program.[8] Jay Walder, former chairman and chief executive of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, was named new chief executive of Bikeshare Holdings. By 2017, Citi Bike plans to double its bike fleet to 12,000 and add 375 docking stations to expand service further into Brooklyn, upper Manhattan, Astoria, and Long Island City.[9][10]

History

Development, delays, and deployment

In an effort to reduce emissions, road wear, collisions, and road and transit congestion and to improve public health, the New York City Department of Transportation (NYCDOT) researched alternative forms of transportation, publishing a strategic plan in 2008.[11] It found that 10% of automobile trips are under one-half mile, 22% are under 1 mile and 56% are under 3 miles, distances readily served by bicycle.[12] The city, which had already been encouraging cycling as an alternative form of transportation, decided to establish a bicycle share program of the kind that had seen success in other cities. Citi Bike was born as a private-public partnership operated by NYC Bike Share LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Alta Bicycle Share. In the 2009 bicycle share feasibility report, the NYC Department of City Planning (DCP) recommended building out the system in three phases in the four most populous boroughs, but no timeline has been made public. The system, which was first supposed to start in fall 2011, got pushed back to July 2012.[13]

The planned July 2012 start was delayed first by software problems,[14][15][16] then by Hurricane Sandy, which damaged bicycles in storage at Brooklyn Navy Yard. As planning progressed, some residents expressed dismay at the lack of docking stations in their neighborhoods[17] while others fought against stations on their blocks.[18]

Customers at Lafayette Street at Citi Bike's opening in May 2013

Citi Bike finally began operations on May 27, 2013, with 332 stations in Manhattan south of 59th Street[4][19] and in Brooklyn north of Atlantic Avenue and west of Nostrand Avenue.[20] Officials said the system opened with 6,000 bikes.[3]

When launched, the system was slated to expand to 10,000 bicycles and 600 stations in Manhattan south of 79th Street, plus stations in several Brooklyn neighborhoods, including Greenpoint, Crown Heights, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Park Slope and Carroll Gardens as well as parts of Queens. No timeline for the expansion has been made publicly available.[4][21] There has been increasing interest in further expansion across New York City;[22] for example, in June 2013 a Brooklyn politician opened a petition drive to accelerate deployment in Greenpoint.[23] In contrast, the May 2013 installation deliberately bypassed South Williamsburg.[24] In July 2013, several news media outlets fell for a hoax by a comedian who said he found a spy camera on his bike.[25][26]

Complaints

Some local bike shops in tourist areas reported a decline in their bike rental business, and some complained that Citi Bike's advertising was misleading tourists.[27] Some critics disparaged the bright blue color and branding of the bicycles[28] or accused the stations of being fire hazards.[29]

Expansion

Bike delivery to station by van

On August 6, 2013, riders took 42,010 trips, the largest single-day total for any North American bike-sharing system.[30]

In January 2014, the designer of Citi Bike's bicycles and docking stations filed for bankruptcy protection. Officials with Montreal, Canada-based Public Bike System (also known as Bixi) said they were $46 million in debt, partly because the operators of Bixi-powered bike-sharing systems in Chicago and New York had withheld $5 million in payments because of software glitches in the docking stations. Alta Bicycle Share officials, who operate the New York system as well as those in Chicago and Washington, D.C., said they anticipated no interruptions of service.[31]

On September 17, 2014, in the face of overwhelming support for unionization, Citi Bike agreed to recognize Transport Workers Union of America Local 100's representation of Citi Bike's labor force.[32]

On October 29, 2014, Alta Bicycle Share and the New York City Department of Transportation (NYDOT) announced a plan to improve and expand the Citi Bike program. Bikeshare Holdings LLC, a new entity formed by the partners at real estate developer Related Companies and gym chain Equinox Fitness, acquired Alta Bicycle Share and named Jay Walder as the new chief executive. New investments include $5 million from Bikeshare Holdings, an increased sponsorship commitment from Citi of up to $70.5 million extended through 2024, and a $15 million increase in the credit facility from the Goldman Sachs Urban Investment Group.[8][9][10] As part of the restructuring deal, Walder moved the company headquarters from Portland, Oregon, to New York City. The Citi Bike system will continue to be operated by NYC Bicycle Share, a subsidiary of Alta Bicycle Share. By 2017, the owners announced, Citi Bike will expand its operations by 6,000 bikes and add 375 new docking stations.[8] This agreement also calls for improvements to the system’s operations, including upgrades to its software and technology. Walder said the company would appoint a vice president for technology.[10]

Citi Bike pay station in Lower Manhattan
A station temporarily buried by a snowstorm

In early 2015, NYDOT and Alta increased the cost of annual memberships from $95 to $149 plus taxes, although annual rates for New York City Housing Authority residents and members of some Community Development Credit Unions will remain at $60 per year.[8][33]

In 2015, the company installed 91 new stations in Long Island City, Greenpoint, Williamsburg, and Bed-Stuy, plus 48 new stations on the Upper East and Upper West Sides, up to 86th Street.[34]

In fall 2015, the company installed 35 new stations in Jersey City, New Jersey, that opened on September 21, 2015 with 350 bikes.[35] Some residents complained of lost parking spots for cars.[36]

Bike description

The bicycles are utility bicycles with a unisex step-through frame. Their one-piece aluminum frame and handlebars conceal cables and fasteners in an effort to protect them from vandalism and bad weather.[37] They are equipped with a Shimano Nexus three-speed, twist-shifter-operated internal geared hub, full mudguards/fenders and chainguard.[37] The heavy-duty tires are puncture-resistant and filled with nitrogen to maintain proper inflation pressure longer.[38][39] Twin LED rear lights of the pre-2015 design are integrated into the frame,[37] which weighs about 20.5 kg (45 lb). The bikes are designed by industrial designer Michel Dallaire and built in the Saguenay, Quebec, region by Cycles Devinci, with aluminum provided by Rio Tinto Alcan.[40]

In 2015, Ben Serotta helped redesign the bicycle to include a new seat, a simpler gear shifting mechanism, fewer and brighter lights, and a European-style center kickstand.[41]

Payment

As of March 2016, yearly passes cost $155, or $60 for NYCHA residents who are 16 or older.[42] Purchasers using a Citibank card receive a 10% discount when purchasing annual memberships through the Citi Bike website. Annual members receive a key and can make trips of up to 45 minutes without added charge.[43]

Daily ($9.95) and weekly ($25) passes are sold at Citi Bike docking stations. Trips using these passes are limited to 30 minutes before extra fees kick in.[3] An 8.875% sales tax is added to the cost of all passes.[3]

All payments are by credit card; Wageworks and Transitchek prepaid commuter cards are not accepted, as bike sharing programs do not qualify as eligible commuting expenses under US tax law.[44]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "NYCBS August 2014 Monthly Report" (PDF). https://www.citibikenyc.com. Retrieved 3 November 2014. External link in |website= (help)
  2. ↑ "About Citi Bike About". Citi Bike. Retrieved May 29, 2013.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Flegenheimer, Matt (May 27, 2013). "Out for a First Spin: City’s Bike Share Program Begins". The New York Times. Retrieved June 8, 2013.
  4. 1 2 3 "New York City launches nation's largest bike share". WABC TV. Retrieved May 27, 2013.
  5. ↑ Haughney, Christine (September 11, 2011). "New York Chooses Company to Run Bike-Share Program". The New York Times. Retrieved September 14, 2011.
  6. ↑ NYC - Department of Transportation (May 9, 2013). "NCY DOT and NYC Bike Share Announce Citi Bike to Begin May 27". Bloomberg L.P. Retrieved June 8, 2013.
  7. ↑ Flegenheimer, Matt (May 7, 2012). "Citibank Pays to Put Name on Shared Bikes". The New York Times . Retrieved June 19, 2013.
  8. 1 2 3 4 "NYC DOT, Alta and Citi Announce Agreement to Expand and Enhance Citi Bike Program in New York City". New York City Department of Transportation. Retrieved 3 November 2014.
  9. 1 2 Chaban, Matt A.V. (28 October 2014). "New Leader Will Drive Expansion of Citi Bike". The New York Times. Retrieved 3 November 2014.
  10. 1 2 3 Tangel, Andrew (28 October 2014). "Citi Bike to Get Millions in Financial Boost". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 3 November 2014.
  11. ↑ "Sustainable Streets: Strategic Plan for the New York City Department of Transportation, 2008 and Beyond", New York City Department of Transportation, April 2008
  12. ↑ NYC Commuting Distance Report, New York City Department of Transportation, accessed June 19, 2014
  13. ↑ NYC bikeshare feasibility report
  14. ↑ Flegenheimer, Matt (August 17, 2012). "Bike Share Delayed Until Spring, Mayor Says". The New York Times. Retrieved June 19, 2013.
  15. ↑ Deprez, Esmé E. (August 17, 2012). "New York Bike-Share Program Delayed Until March, Mayor Says". Bloomberg News. Retrieved June 19, 2013.
  16. ↑ Lyon, Cody (August 22, 2012). "The Drama Behind the Bike Share Delay". Gotham Gazette. Retrieved June 19, 2013.
  17. ↑ Wall, Patrick (May 8, 2013). "Bronx Cyclists wonder whether they will get City Bike". dnainfo.com. Retrieved June 19, 2013.
  18. ↑ "Residents Fight Citi Bike Program". The Real Deal New York Real Estate. May 8, 2013. Retrieved June 19, 2013.
  19. ↑ Bike Share Launches for Riders with Annual Memberships NY1, May 27, 2013
  20. ↑ Miller, Stephen (March 28, 2013). "Initial Rollout to Skip Part of Brooklyn". Streetsblog.org. Retrieved June 19, 2013.
  21. ↑ "Draft Citi Bike Station Map".
  22. ↑ Wall, Patrick (May 8, 2013). "Bronx Cyclists Wonder Whether Borough Will Get in Citi Bike Share Program". DNAinfo New York. Retrieved August 25, 2013.
  23. ↑ Evans, Lauren (June 11, 2013). "Will Citi Bike Launch In Greenpoint Before The G Train Shuts Down This Summer?". Gothamist. Retrieved June 30, 2013.
  24. ↑ Ali, Muhammad; Wichselbaum, Simone (May 22, 2013). "CityBike black hole in black hat Williamsburg". Daily News (New York). Retrieved September 20, 2013.
  25. ↑ CitiBike Spy Camera Joke
  26. ↑ Relax, NYC’s Citibike isn’t a massive surveillance program (at least not yet)
  27. ↑ Pentchoukov, Ivan (July 25, 2013). "NYC Bike Share Vs Bike Shops". The Epoch Times. Retrieved August 25, 2013.
  28. ↑ Ephron, Delia (October 19, 2013). "Color Me Blue". The New York Times. Retrieved October 9, 2014.
  29. ↑ Columnist launches Vitriolic Attack on New York City Bike Share By LAURIE KAMENS, 2 June 2013, Daily Mail
  30. ↑ Citi Bike System Data, retrieved August 12, 2013
  31. ↑ "Citi Bike supplier rides into bankruptcy". Crain's New York Business. January 22, 2014. Retrieved November 27, 2014.
  32. ↑ "Citi Bike workers join Transport Workers Union Local 100". NY Daily News.
  33. ↑ Fermino, Jennifer (1 November 2014). "Citi Bike tells members its rates would increase 'in the coming days' but make the switch 12 hours later". New York Daily News. Retrieved 3 November 2014.
  34. ↑ "Citi Bike Expansion". Explore - Citi Bike. Retrieved 2015-11-16.
  35. ↑ "Bike-Sharing Programs Gain a Toehold in New Jersey - NYTimes.com". mobile.nytimes.com. Retrieved 2015-09-21.
  36. ↑ "Jersey City residents offer mixed reviews on placement of Citi Bike stations". Retrieved 2015-09-20.
  37. 1 2 3 "Meet The Bike - Citi Bike".
  38. ↑ Ross Lydall (2010-05-21). "Taking a ride on Boris's hot wheels hire bikes". London Evening Standard. Retrieved 2010-06-29.
  39. ↑ "Meet the Bike - Citibike web site". Retrieved 2014-09-06.
  40. ↑ "Rio Tinto Alcan and BIXI: a partnership on a roll" (Press release). Rio Tinto Alcan. 2008-10-28. Retrieved 2009-09-14.
  41. ↑ Fermino, Jennifer (7 June 2015). "EXCLUSIVE: Redesigned Citi Bikes hitting streets this month". NY Daily News. Retrieved 2015-06-09.
  42. ↑ "Pricing - Citi Bike website". https://www.citibikenyc.com. Retrieved 3 November 2014. External link in |website= (help)
  43. ↑ "Offers". Citi Bike NYC. Retrieved 3 November 2014.
  44. ↑ http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-wd/13-0032.pdf

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