Beginning in August, Citi Bike, New York's premier bike-share program, will install 79 new stations in Brooklyn, bringing the service deeper into the borough.
The expansion is supported by an increased sponsorship commitment from Citi of up to $70.5 million extended through 2024. According to officials, installation should take about three weeks.
The expansion is part of a larger effort to move deeper into the borough by doubling the number of Citi Bikes on the city's streets over the next two years, from 6,000 to 12,00 by 2017.
Since Motivate took over operation of the Citi Bike program earlier this year with financial backing from the CEOs of Equinox, Related Companies and other private investors, the system has already seen major improvements in ease of use for riders, according to Citi Bike officials. The result: a 40 percent decrease in call volume (May and June 2014 vs. May and June 2015) to its Customer Service Call Center revealing growing customer satisfaction.
"This is the start of something big," said Mayor Bill de Blasio. "Citi Bike is rolling into the outer boroughs like never before. That means hundreds of thousands more New Yorkers will have a fast, sustainable, low-cost transportation option. We are thrilled to work with Motivate on the next phase of this great success story."
The first wave of station installations will include 91 new stations in Bedford Stuyvesant, Williamsburg, Greenpoint and Long Island City, followed by an additional 48 stations on the Upper East and Upper West Sides, from 59th Street to 86th Street, starting in the fall. DOT and Motivate arrived at the station locations through more than a hundred meetings with the public and community stakeholders through the course of several years.
Installation of a total 26 stations will begin in Bed-Stuy next week.
Six stations were installed on Friday in Greenpoint:
- McGuinness Blvd & Eagle St
- Norman Ave & Leonard St
- Banker St & Meserole Ave
- Greenpoint Ave & Manhattan Ave
- India St & Manhattan Ave
- Meserole Ave & Manhattan Ave
On Monday, workers installed 7 new station in Williamsburg:
- 31st Street & Thomson Avenue
- Bedford Avenue & Nassau Avenue
- Leonard Street & Bayard Street
- North 12th Street & Bedford Avenue
- North 11th Street & Wythe Avenue
- Kent Avenue & North 7th Street
- Berry Street & North 8th Street
You can track the progress of station installations in real-time here. Also, new Citi Bike members can save $25 off an annual membership by signing up before August 31, at expansion.citibikenyc.com.
