The City Department of Transportation (DOT) announced the Phase 3 expansion of its Citi Bike initiative on July 16, which will bring bike sharing to various South Bronx neighborhoods including Mott Haven, Melrose, Port Morris, Highbridge, Claremont, Morrisania, Longwood, Concourse, and Mt. Eden in the next year. Community Board consultation will start this fall and stations will be installed in 2020. 

 

DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg confirmed that a $100 million investment to expand the bike program through 2023 has been made by Lyft (Citi Bike’s parent company) which will also cover previously under-served neighborhoods in northern Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens. A $300,000 expansion grant program, sponsored by HealthFirst, was also announced as well as a new handcycle pilot for the disability community.

 

To mark the occasion, the Commissioner, elected officials, including Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., Lyft representatives and advocates took to the saddle to ride Citi Bikes down the Grand Concourse in the Bronx ahead of the open-air press conference which was held outside the Bronx County Courthouse.

 

Trottenberg confirmed that Citi Bike membership would be made available to SNAP recipients and NYCHA residents and that the city is also ensuring the program will be accessible to people with disabilities. 

 

She also confirmed that, according to DOT estimates, New York City is currently the eighth largest bike share system in the world with around 14,000 bikes. “When we are done with this expansion, we will be at 40,000 bikes, she said, drawing applause from those gathered. “We will be the second or third largest bike system in the world.”