Citi Bike Expansion Reaches Uptown

by Laura Matiz 

Citi Bike has announced a massive expansion of the bike-sharing program with Long Island City, Greenpoint, Williamsburg and Bedford Stuyvesant starting in August 2015 and the Upper East Side and West Side in the fall. Forty-eight bike stations will be installed on both sides of Central Park, 27 on the UES and 21 on the West Side. The stations will be installed between 59th Street and 86th Street. Eventually, the Citi Bike system will double in size by 2017, with 6,000 additional bikes and over 375 new stations.  (See expansion map below.)

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Of course, the locations and placement of the new stations will be controversial, raising the ire of many for where they are located and for where they are not. It is interesting to note that a recent study in Montreal found that property values were positively affected by their proximity to a bike sharing station.

The program has also announced that the bicycles are being redesigned to make them sturdier and more durable, while making them more comfortable for riders. The annual membership price is now $150, a bargain if you use the bikes often. 

NYC and the Department of Transportation have released a NYC Bike Map with routes, regulations, and tips for all bicycle riders. I have reproduced two legends from the map that are quite useful and informative.  Remember to wear your helmet and happy pedaling. 

Citi Bike Expansion Map

Categories: Transit