Citi Bike Surpassed Single-Day Ridership Record, Reached 200 Million All-Time Rides, and Opened 2,000th Station in September
Our Bureau
NEW YORK, NY
New York City Mayor Eric Adams, New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez, and Lyft today unveiled plans to expand and improve the Citi Bike system to meet ridership demand and growth and to promote cycling and micromobility. By the end of next year, Citi Bike will double its electric bike fleet and pilot at least two electrified charging/docking stations, with plans to electrify 20 percent of stations in the coming years. Citi Bike will also introduce new price caps to its e-bike pricing model, and has already added 2,800 classic bikes and replaced 2,200 existing bikes as a part of its Phase 3 expansion.
Since its launch 10 years ago, Citi Bike has become a ubiquitous part of the fabric of New York City, and now is the largest bike share program in the nation and the fastest-growing transportation network in the city’s history with 200 million all-time rides. Lyft and the city have doubled the system’s number of docking from 1,000 in August 2020 to 2,000 in September 2023. In August 2023, the system set a monthly record with over 4 million rides, up 63 percent from 2019. A record-breaking 161,422 Citi Bike rides took place on October 28, 2023, representing approximately one-quarter of the total estimated cycling trips on an average day in New York City. Additionally, as of October 29, there have been 30.7 million Citi Bike rides this calendar year – setting a new annual record with more than two months left in the year.
“Biking in New York City wouldn’t be what it is today without Citi Bike, and we’re launching a new era of our city’s two-wheeled history by expanding and improving this system,” said Mayor Adams. “I’ve biked all across the city — from High Bridge to the Brooklyn Bridge — and this agreement with Lyft ensures that public bike share will be available for New Yorkers to do the same for the next decade. As we work every day to promote safe cycling on bikes and e-bikes, we will never stop making it greener, cleaner, and easier for all New Yorkers to travel across our great city.”
Under Mayor Adams’ leadership, New York City has launched and completed significant bike infrastructure and greenway projects across all five boroughs. After winning a $7.25 million federal grant, the Adams administration launched a groundbreaking effort to expand the Harlem River Greenway seven miles into the Bronx — delivering critical public space in a community too often left behind. The administration has also completed and launched major bike infrastructure projects in East New York in Brooklyn, on Soundview Avenue in the Bronx, on Third Avenue in Manhattan, and more.
The Citi Bike system has grown to more than 30,000 bikes and 2,000 stations, more than quadrupling its fleet from 6,000 bikes and 332 stations at launch in May 2013. After the completion of the current Phase 3 expansion, Citi Bike will have deployed more than 40,000 bikes. . This year’s expansion areas include Ditmas Park and Flatbush in Brooklyn; Jackson Heights, Corona, and Elmhurst in Queens; and Bathgate and Marble Hill in the Bronx.
“With each new record set, we see how integral a role bike-share plays in New York City’s transportation ecosystem,” said Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine. “Pedal-assist bikes are making longer commutes possible for New Yorkers, and both increasing their availability as well as creating a path toward electrification are exciting steps forward.”
“This expansion of the Citi Bike program is a significant step forward toward encouraging more and more people to get around our borough and city by bike,” said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. “Citi Bike has proven to be very popular wherever it has been available, and I am sure it will be even more popular thanks to today’s announcement. I look forward to future expansions of the Citi Bike program and will continue to partner with the Department of Transportation to promote bicycling in Queens and throughout New York City.”
“The growth of Citi Bike and biking in the city attest to New York’s increasing preference for sustainable and convenient mobility options,” said Tri-State Transportation Campaign executive director Renae Reynolds. “The addition of more electric bikes, charging stations, and protected bike lanes has never been more crucial. As advocates for a more connected and greener transportation network, we know that every neighborhood deserves a protected bike lane, docking stations, and that increased access to these mobility options is a win for our city and a sustainable future.”
“As more New Yorkers choose cycling as their preferred mode of transportation, doubling the number of e-bikes in Citi Bike’s fleet will undoubtedly further increase ridership and our shared goals of inclusion and empowerment,” said Bike New York CEO Ken Podziba. “We’re thrilled that Citi Bike broke another single-day ridership record and reached the 200 million mark, and, with continued bike infrastructure improvements and congestion pricing around the corner, we see the number of riders reaching greater heights leading to a healthier and greener city.”
