Citi Bike is expanding its reach in western Queens by adding more than 50 new docking stations in Astoria.
On Jan. 15, Lyft and the New York City Department of Transportation announced the launch of 52 new docking stations to the neighborhood, growing the Citi Bike’s coverage in the neighborhood to north of Ditmars Boulevard and east of Steinway Street.
The launch kicks off the largest expansion year in Citi Bike’s history.
Laura Fox, general manager for Citi Bike at Lyft, said the expansion will cover the entirety of Astoria and Steinway.
“Many of these new stations are in parts of the neighborhood further away from the subway, and our bikes combined with upcoming in-app transit information will make it even easier for riders to get to the N, W, R and M trains,” Fox said.
NYC DOT Queens Borough Commissioner Nicole Garcia said the city is “thrilled” to ring in 2021 with the new expansion, as more New Yorkers choose cycling as a “sustainable and healthy form of transportation during the COVID-19 crisis.”
“Citi Bike has worked closely with DOT as we met the incredible demand with record construction of protected bike lanes. We thank Lyft for their commitment to building out the bike share network — and all the local elected officials, community groups and residents who helped DOT select new station locations,” said Garcia.
The city constructed a record of nearly 29 lane miles of new protected bike lanes across all five boroughs in 2020, with nearly 10 miles of protected bike lanes in Queens.
Queens Borough President Donovan Richards and local Councilman Costa Constantinides praised the expansion.
“Car use in New York City accounted for over 12 million tons of greenhouse gases in 2019,” said Constantinides. “If we’re going to meet our climate goals, we need to give New Yorkers as many sustainable options as possible, and expanding our bike share network is a great way to achieve this. That’s why I’m so proud to support Citi Bike’s expansion into new parts of Astoria, as every trip not taken in a gas-fueled vehicle is another step to securing a truly green and sustainable New York.”
Citi Bike is the nation’s most widely used bike-share system, and hit a milestone of 100 million all-time rides in 2020. Last year alone, nearly 900,000 Citi Bike riders pedaled more than 42.1 million miles.
Citi Bike is currently in phase three of its citywide expansion to double the footprint of the network, which will be completed by the end of 2023. An additional 18 neighborhoods were added to the system last year and new stations will also be added in Manhattan, Brooklyn and the Bronx following the Astoria expansion.
Citi Bike has more than 18,000 bikes, including 3,700 e-bikes, at more than 1,100 stations and works with more than 60 community partners across the city. Last year, Lyft launched the first Equity Advisory Council for bike-sharing programs, gathering together 20 other organizations to provide an equity lens and guidance for Citi Bike’s expansion.
An annual membership is $179 with a 12-month commitment. NYCHA residents, SNAP recipients and members of select community development credit unions are eligible to receive discounted memberships at just $5 per month. Nearly 8,000 New Yorkers access reliable transportation through this Reduced Fare Bikeshare program.
