Astoria residents will be able to take advantage of the city’s bike sharing program starting this month when Citi Bike officially expands to the neighborhood on Sept. 12.
The Department of Transportation released the map of the new stations in August, which included changes due to residents’ feedback. The agency will also add seven additional stations to the existing Long Island City “to improve station density.”
“With this round of Citi Bike expansion, bike share will now cover more than 30 square miles, with more New Yorkers able to take advantage of this fast, affordable, convenient and sustainable transportation option,” said DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg. “More than just adding neighborhoods to the bike share network, Citi Bike is also bringing more bikes and stations to already established neighborhoods.”
The Citi Bike system is the largest bike share network in the country with 14 million rides taken in 2016. By the end of this year, there will be 12,000 bikes available in the system.
New bike lanes are constantly being added and Mayor Bill de Blasio has said he wants to continue the trend, vowing to add 50 miles of bike lanes every year as part of his Vision Zero initiative. The DOT released a report titled “Safer Cycling: Bicycle Ridership and Safety in New York City,” which found that the number of cyclists killed or seriously injured during the first year of launching Citi Bike declined by 17 percent.
The report also identified three Priority Bicycle Districts in Queens where there was a high percentage of cyclists killed in action and vowed to create or enhance additional bike lanes for safety.
The annual cost of a Citi Bike membership is $163. NYCHA residents and members of several community development credit unions are eligible to receive $5 per month memberships.
To purchase a membership or to find out more about Citi Bike, visit citibikenyc.com.
