By Bill Parry
The expansion of Citi Bike in western Queens finally got underway Friday morning with the installation of a bike dock on Vernon Boulevard and 41st Avenue, alongside Queensbridge Park. When work is completed this fall, Astoria will have 59 Citi Bike stations and Long Island City will have an additional seven new docks.
“Stations will be active on the same day they are installed, so expansion will occur incrementally over the subsequent weeks and will be completed by the end of the year,” a spokesperson for the city Department of Transportation said. “Station sizes vary throughout the service area based on anticipated demand including factors such as density, land use and transit activity, among others. DOT regularly reviews station sizing for all stations in the system and makes adjustments as necessary.”
The expansion is welcome news to state Sen. Michael Gianaris (D-Astoria), who has advocated for the transit alternative for more than two years.
“The long-awaited arrival of Citi Bike in Astoria is great news,” Gianaris said. “Bike share will allow people to enjoy our neighborhood in a healthy, fun way and facilitate easier travel around western Queens, an area in dire need of better mass transit. I am thrilled to see western Queens being given the opportunity to enjoy the benefits of Citi Bike and look forward to its further expansion into more of our neighborhoods.”
Reach reporter Bill Parry by e-mail at bparr
