Citi Bike Photo: QueensPost
Aug. 20, 2019, By Ryanne Salzano
Some low-income New Yorkers can get a free month of Citi Bike rides, as part of an initiative partnered with Citi Bike and the New York, Brooklyn, and the Queens Public Library.
The offer comes as a celebration of the first anniversary of the Reduced Fare Bike Share from Healthfirst, a New York health insurance company.
Residents of NYCHA developments and people who receive SNAP benefits qualify for a free month of Citi Bike rides. The offer is only available to new Citi Bike members.
New Yorkers who qualify can go to the circulation desk at any library branch for a gift certificate for the offer while supplies last. Riders can use the certificate to enroll online for the Citi Bike membership.
The offer provides unlimited 45-minute rides for the first 30 days. After that, riders can renew their membership for $5 a month. There’s no annual commitment or auto-renew, and riders can re-enroll by taking a Citi Bike ride after the initial offer expires.
“Citi Bike’s reduced fare gift certificates will offer many people who visit our libraries in western Queens and our tech lab at the Queensbridge Houses equitable access to a healthy transportation option that respects the environment,” said Dennis Walcott, president and CEO of the Queens Public Library.
The Reduced Fare Bike Share program from Healthfirst boasts a membership of 3,500 New Yorkers. These members ride, on average, twice as much as those with annual Citi Bike members, according to the press release. Healthfirst is New York’s largest not-for-profit health insurer.
