Council Transportation Chair Ydanis Rodriguez & Colleagues to Announce Widespread Support Public Funding for Citi Bike's Expansion in
all Five Boroughs
City Funding Would Help Ensure that the Citi Bike Program is Accessible to All, Regardless of Income or Neighborhood
New York, NY-Flanked by colleagues, Citi Bike riders and bike advocates, Ydanis Rodriguez, Chair of the City Council Transportation Committee, will announce the widespread NYC Council support for public funding to continue Citi Bike's expansion to all five boroughs in city budget on Wednesday.
With De Blasio's leadership, Citi Bike has moved from an urban experiment to a full component of our city's transportation infrastructure. In order to ensure that the Citi Bike program remains accessible to everyone and is able to meet the Mayor's goal of equity by expanding into all five boroughs, a majority of Council Members maintain that City funding is necessary.
WHAT:
Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez, City Council Members call for public support for Citi Bike borough expansion to be included in upcoming budget
WHO:
- Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez, Transportation Committee Chair
- Members of the NYC Council
- Transportation Alternatives
- Bed-Stuy Restoration Corporation
- Bike Advocates
WHEN:
Wednesday, January 18, 12:00pm noon
WHERE:
City Hall Steps
Background:
Citi Bike launched in May 2013 with 6,000 bikes at 332 stations in Manhattan and Brooklyn. By the end of 2017, Citi Bike will have doubled in size, with 12,000 bikes at 700 stations in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens. Since Citi Bike's launch, annual membership has grown to more than 115,000.
The Citi Bike program has become tremendously popular among New Yorkers and visitors alike. Riders took more than 14 million trips in 2016, up from 10 million the year before. On peak days, the system can now host upwards of 60,000 trips- as many as Borough Taxis and the Staten Island Ferry.
The system has expanded over the past two years but still only serves a small fraction of the City, missing lower-density neighborhoods that are transit deserts and communities that lag behind in terms of public health indicators. City support is necessary in order to bring Citi Bike to lower-density areas.
