Citi Bike unveils new valet service on St Mark's Place and 1st Avenue; more to come

[Rando image via Citi Bike]

Starting today, Citi Bike is bringing some of its valet stations back into service ... in addition, Citi Bike is introducing several new valet stations in the neighborhood.

Background: Citi Bike offers valet service at high-volume stations during peak usage times. Each station is staffed by a Citi Bike rep ... to help reduce the frustration that riders face when arriving at a full docking station.

Here's the list of Citi Bike's new or returning valets in the area...

Today:
St Mark's Place at First Avenue (New)
Second Street at Avenue B (Returning)

Early April:
University Place at 14th Street (New)
Allen Street at Stanton (New)
First Avenue at 16th Street (Returning)

Early May:
Seventh Street at Avenue A (New)

And the valet service is ongoing on 10th Street between Avenue A and Avenue B.

More details are at this link.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Docking blues: Doing the 'checking-all-of-the-Citi Bike-stations dance'

Station on 10th Street along Tompkins Square Park now one of the largest in the Citi Bike system

A work crew arrived yesterday afternoon to install more Citi Bike docks along Tompkins Square Park on 10th Street between Avenue A and Avenue B... EVG regular Daniel shared these photos...







Citi Bike announced in January that they are boosting service in the busiest parts of Manhattan and Brooklyn by adding 1,250 new bikes and 2,500 docks.

As noted last week, we've seen expansions at Sixth Street at Avenue B with 27 more bikes, Second Street at Avenue C (plus 25) and Second Street at Avenue B (plus 25).

With the extra 27 bikes added on 10th Street yesterday, this docking station is now one of the largest in the Citi Bike system...

Speaking of infill...

We just added 27 docks to our station at E 10 St & Avenue A increasing its capacity to 79 docks (one of the biggest in our system)!

Hello, beautiful. 😍 pic.twitter.com/VeXHS7rZTm

— Citi Bike (@CitiBikeNYC) March 12, 2019

Where Citi Bike has expanded on East Village streets

[Photo from last month by Riian Kant-McCormick]

Back in January, Citi Bike announced that they are boosting service in the busiest parts of Manhattan and Brooklyn by adding 1,250 new bikes and 2,500 docks.

And as you may have noticed, more docks have arrived at several East Village sites, including Sixth Street at Avenue B (above) with 27 more bikes ... Second Avenue at Avenue C (plus 25)...



... and Second Street at Avenue B (plus 25) ...



These were the three docking stations set to receive the biggest boost in bikes. (This previous post has more details.)

And look for new docking stations coming soon to First Avenue at Fifth Street and Avenue C and 12th Street...

West 47th Street & 6th Avenue
Park Avenue East & 37th Street
East 58th Street & 1st Avenue
West 30th Street & 10th Avenue
East 12th Street & Avenue C
1 Av & E 5 St
Delancey Street & Eldridge Street
Perry Street & Greenwich Avenue
West Broadway & West Houston Street

— Citi Bike (@CitiBikeNYC) March 1, 2019

Meanwhile, last Thursday, Citi Bike announced a major expansion of its fleet of pedal-assist e-bikes, with 4,000 hitting docking stations in the months ahead. However, there will be an additional fee, $2 per trip, to use one — even if you already have a Citi Bike membership.

People have criticized the $2 charge. Here's a quickie recap via a Streetsblog post from Monday:

The $2 fee — waived for Citi Bike members until April 27 — has come under fire from many quarters since it was announced this week, with some foes likening it to a fare hike on what should be a form of public transportation, yet is ostensibly a public-private partnership even though the city allocates no public money. Others reminded that Citi Bike has a monopoly on service, with dockless rivals Jump and Lime only allowed to operate in small pilot zones in the Bronx and Staten Island.

Previously on EV Grieve:
A look at where Citi Bike is expanding in the East Village

A look at where Citi Bike is expanding in the East Village

[Archived photo from 4th Street by Derek Berg]

The East Village bike fleet is getting a boost. Citi Bike tweeted out its expansion plans for 2019 yesterday...

In the coming months, we're boosting service by adding 1250 new bikes and 2500 docks in the busiest parts of the system throughout Manhattan & Brooklyn.

Want to learn more? Visit @NYC_DOT for their full presentations on this infill plan: https://t.co/2Q5bwJUfWd

— Citi Bike (@CitiBikeNYC) January 22, 2019

The tweet included links to the presentations that DOT officials made to local Community Boards in recent months about the expansion. (The presentation to CB3 from Nov. 12 is at this link. And the final expanded docking-station map is here.)

According to the DOT materials, there are 50 existing Citi Bike docking stations within the boundaries of Community Board 3*; 19 of those will see of expansion of anywhere between two and 27 bikes ... with four more stations added overall.

This map shows the existing Citi Bike docking stations above East Houston up to 14th Street. As the map shows, the new docking stations will be coming to 12th Street and Avenue C (32 bikes) ... and First Avenue and Sixth Street (number of bikes not listed) ...


[Click on image for more detail]

This map outlines the number of additional bikes coming to existing docking stations... with the biggest gains on Sixth Street at Avenue B (plus 27), 10th Street between Avenue A and Avenue B (plus 25), and Avenue C and Second Street (plus 25)...



There isn't a definite timeline on these additions — "in the coming months" per the Citi Bike tweet, and "early 2019" per the CB3 presentation.

In late November, Citi Bike announced that it was tripling its current fleet of 12,000 bikes — and doubling the system’s coverage area — as part of a five-year, $100-million investment from the company’s new owner, Lyft. This addition makes Citi Bike the largest bike-share system in North America.

* The boundaries of CB3 are 14th Street on the north, the East River on the east and the south, and Fourth Avenue and the Bowery on the west, extending to Baxter and Pearl Streets and the Brooklyn Bridge south of Canal Street.

Citi Bikes with larger baskets are now roaming the streets

Citi Bike yesterday unveiled more than 100 new bikes with larger, three-sided baskets, as seen here docked outside Cooper Union.

Motivate, Citi Bike's (now former) parent company, reportedly tested the baskets with riders and received a positive response. They'll be standard on new bikes now, per Streetsblog.



Unlike the old design (done this way to prevent people from dumping garbage in them, as Streetsblog noted)...


[Image via Citi Bike]

... the larger size will likely make it easier to transport pizzas and, maybe, mattresses...


[Photo on St. Mark's Place from 2013 by Julius Klein]

Citi Bike will expand ahead of L-mageddon time

We joined @NYC_DOT this morning to make a BIG announcement about our plans for the upcoming L train disruption.

We’re adding not only more bikes and stations, but special pedal-assist bikes to travel over the Williamsburg bridge ⚡️⚡️ pic.twitter.com/Ym0VDJJyjb

— Citi Bike (@CitiBikeNYC) June 27, 2018

Citi Bike will add more than 1,200 new bikes and 2,500 docking stations next spring ahead of the L-train shutdown.

Here are more details about the increased Citi Bike presence via a news release from the Mayor's office:

More Citi Bikes, denser coverage: In Citi Bike’s busiest areas, cycling is expected to expand dramatically with the L train’s disruption next year. The first stage of the City’s plan to increase capacity in Citi Bike’s existing service area will focus in Manhattan between Canal Street and 59th Street and the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, where Citi Bike will offer denser coverage with 2,500 new docks and 1,250 new bicycles.

The process of providing denser coverage is known as “infill,” and will involve both new docking stations and enlarging current stations. DOT and Citi Bike will coordinate a robust community engagement process. working closely with local elected officials, community groups as well as the affected community boards – Brooklyn Community Board 1 and Manhattan Community Boards 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6.

And...

More Citi Bike valet stations: In anticipation of the L train disruption, Citi Bike expects to add as many as ten new valet stations, located in areas heavily affected by the L train disruption, including Williamsburg, the Lower East Side, along the 14th Street corridor and adjacent to East River ferry stops in both Brooklyn and Manhattan.

And...

Citi Bike pedal-assist “Shuttle Service”: Citi Bike announced that it would add a temporary, additional 1,000 pedal-assist bicycle “Shuttle Service” to its fleet during the L train closure, which would designate four conveniently-located pedal-assist docking stations — two in Williamsburg and two in lower Manhattan for their exclusive use. “Shuttle Service” bicycles could only be rented and returned to these stations.

During a City Council hearing yesterday, New York City Department of Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg said alternative subway routes would carry 70 percent to 80 percent of the displaced riders entering Manhattan, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Fifteen percent of commuters are expected to use buses, 5 percent additional ferry service and 3 percent to 5 percent bikes, per Trottenberg.

The shutdown of the L — between Bedford Avenue and Eighth Avenue to repair the Sandy-damaged Canarsie Tunnel — is expected to last 15 months with a start date of April 2019.

Noted

This gap is easy

A post shared by All Citi (@citibikeboyz) on May 10, 2018 at 6:29am PDT

From the Post:

Daredevil Lower East Side cyclists are turning clunky, notoriously heavy CitiBikes into their personal stunt bikes, pulling off gravity-defying stunts with wheelies across alleys and jumps off stairs, then posting videos of the free-wheeling antics to an Instagram account called “Citibikeboyz.”

The ‘boyz’ behind the account say they actually feel safer jumping over a curb or doing a wheelie on the 45-pound, carefully-designed rides.

A post shared by All Citi (@citibikeboyz) on Nov 28, 2017 at 11:23pm PST

And by the way, Sunday marks Citi Bike's fifth anniversary in the City...there will be cake...

Hey Citi Bikers, get ready to party! We're turning 5 on May 27th and we want to celebrate with YOU! Join us on Sunday, 5/27 for a ride, CAKE, games, prizes, and more. Did we mention there was cake? Learn more at https://t.co/fbjo9mOysr pic.twitter.com/fh619mTI9o

— Citi Bike (@CitiBikeNYC) May 22, 2018

Citi Bike of the day

A reader shared this photo from 11th Street between Second Avenue and Third Avenue... previously.

Citi Bike of the day

Spotted on Allen and Stanton on the LES... at least you wouldn't have to adjust the seat. Or worry about the tire pressure.

Noted

[Random Citi Bike photo on St. Mark's Place]

Men's Health editor-in-chief Matt Bean used a handheld germ counter to swab a number of surfaces in New York City.

Per his research:

The device ranks how germy the surface of an item is, depending on the bacteria and biological material it finds. The lower the rating, the fewer germs it has. If something gets a rating of 50, it shouldn’t touch your food.

The title for the grossest public object in New York City goes to Citi Bikes. Turns out, the handlebars on these communal bikes are less hygienic than the hold bars on subway trains — 45 times germier to be exact.

Here are the results for the other objects Bean tested:

1. Citi Bike handlebar - 1,512

2. Starbucks door handle - 1,090

3. LinkNYC kiosk - 807

4. Taxi handle - 424

5. Grand Central door knob - 45

Meanwhile, Recode has a piece today titled "A bike-sharing war is coming to the U.S. as investors pour money into new entrants."

May not happen here just yet, though. Motivate, the company behind Citi Bike, has an exclusive contract with NYC through 2029.

H/T Gothamist!

Citi Bike research: 'Bikes are being used for errands and commuting'

[Citi Bike photo today by Daniel]

NYU’s Rudin Center for Transportation examined how people are using Citi Bikes. The Daily News got the first look at the research, which hasn't been publicly released just yet.

Per the News:

The vast majority of Citi Bike trips, 98 percent, are shorter than 45 minutes, and nearly half clock in at less than 10 minutes.

“People are using Citi Bike in short distances that are perhaps too short to jump on a subway, but may be too long to walk,” said Rudin Assistant Director Sarah Kaufman. “Citi Bike introduces a new option that ... really cuts down on travel times.”

The stats show the bikes are being used for errands and commuting, rather than leisurely cruising.

“It’s not being used by tourists, it’s being used by commuters and regular New Yorkers,” Kaufman said.

What are those green bicycle lights on Citi Bike?

Via the EVG inbox today...

As part of an ongoing commitment to safer cycling in New York, the Citi Bike program is installing an innovative new safety feature — the Blaze Laserlight on 250 bikes this winter, Citi Bike and Blaze leadership announced today.

This pilot program aims to make Citi Bike riders more visible to drivers and pedestrians, creating safer conditions on the road and providing greater peace of mind to all.

Extensive research on the Laserlight on London’s bike share fleet revealed that a cyclist with a Laserlight at night is even more visible than a cyclist in daytime.

The vast majority of London bus drivers surveyed said the light made it easier to notice and react to cyclists at night, while 75% of cyclists felt more confident cycling with a Laserlight.

“By incorporating Blaze’s lights into the bike, we aim to keep New Yorkers on foot, behind the wheel and riding a Citi Bike safer and to improve the rider experience overall so that people of all backgrounds are inspired to try New York City’s popular bike share program,” said Jay Walder, President & CEO of Motivate, operators of the Citi Bike program. “Bike share is an extremely safe way to get around, and we are proud to work with Blaze to welcome every rider to Citi Bike while helping our city get ever closer to our Vision Zero goals.”

Year-end Citi Bike stats: 14 million trips (bike trips)

[Photo from July by Derek Berg]

Mayor de Blasio released some year-end stats-n-stuff about Citi Bike this morning.

To the news release!

Mayor Bill de Blasio today announced that Citi Bike had set another ridership record in 2016, with nearly 14 million trips – shattering the record set in 2015 by more than 4 million. The Citi Bike program, the largest bike-share program in North America, now regularly serves over 60,000 trips per day – on par with Boro Taxis and the Staten Island Ferry. By one estimate, this year’s record number of Citi Bike trips have kept New Yorkers out of carbon-producing vehicles, sparing nearly 5,000 tons of CO² out of New York City’s air.

And!

Citi Bike served more than 60,000 trips on 23 different days this year; on October 19, riders completed nearly 70,000 trips – a one-day system record. Operated by Motivate, a national leader in bike share, Citi Bike continues to attract the highest ridership volume of any bike share system in North America. This year’s record represents a 40 percent increase over the previous year, an indication that Citi Bike’s popularity continues to surge all across the city.

And!

The Citi Bike program also added 139 stations and 2,000 bikes to its fleet in 2016 – expanding the network from Harlem to Red Hook in the second phase of an expansion plan that will double the size of the bike share network from 6,000 to 12,000 bikes by 2017. Citi Bike will continue to expand to Astoria, Prospect Heights and Crown Heights in the coming year.

Gothamist's coverage of the announcement noted ...

Citi Bike currently costs $12/day (unlimited 30-minute rides) or $177 for an annual membership (unlimited 45-minute rides). There are also lower-cost options for NYCHA residents and IDNYC holders, as well as some credit union members, Oxford health plan participants and Citi card holders. For comparison, currently one subway ride is $2.75 and a monthly unlimited pass (not including new card fee) is $116.50.

Citi Bike temporarily bumped from 4th Street for curb work

[Photo by Derek Berg]

Workers yesterday packed up the Citi Bike docking station on Fourth Street and Second Avenue...


[Photo by DB]


...and took it off to parts unknown, though only temporarily...

Station Update: E 4th St & 2nd Ave has been removed for the next month due to construction.

— Citi Bike (@CitiBikeNYC) July 11, 2016

Signs on the block point to a an expansion of the curb line, which Citi Bike officials optimistically believe/hope will last just a month...

[Updated] Picturesque New York City Marble Cemetery getting a Citi Bike docking station out front

This is happening outside the historic cemetery founded in 1831, and located at 52-74 E. Second St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue.

Perhaps the Cemetery organizers requested a docking station ... make it easier for people to visit during its Neighborhood Open Days... but nothing like a docking station to ruin a view.

Photo by EVG contributor James Maher

Updated 1:30 p.m.

A few readers believe this is temporary... because construction has temporarily displaced the docking station on Second Avenue and Second Street...

Updated 7/9

Cemetery officials did NOT request the docking station... They did not even receive any notice of the docking station's arrival. I'll do a separate post on this...

Report: Citi Bike mechanics question the integrity and safety of the new bikes

[Photo on 7th and A by Derek Berg]

The design of the newer-model Citi Bikes are being questioned — by Citi Bikes' own mechanics.

According to an email that the company's unionized mechanics sent to management, as reported by Gothamist:

"We tried to warn management many months ago about these safety issues with the new bikes but were completely ignored," wrote one mechanic and TWU representative in an e-mail to his coworkers last month (he asked that his name be withheld for fear of employer retaliation). "We do not want to be blamed for the catastrophic failure that is the Motivate bike."

In late March, Citi Bike pulled 1,000 bikes from its fleet for maintenance:

“We have determined that the forks in our new bike fleet — the part that holds the front wheel in place — have been wearing faster than expected,” Citi Bike said in its email.

But, according to the email from mechanics, this problem was just the beginning, as the Daily News first reported:

“It's not from high usage,” a Citi Bike staffer with knowledge of its fleet told the Daily News. “To a lot of the mechanics, it means that the company is interested in replenishing the system with bikes of lower quality.”

Parts that hold the rear wheel in place on the new bikes were becoming “skewed and uneven” to the point that it could result in “catastrophic axle breaks and premature hub/wheel failure,” according to the email.

A Citi Bike spokesperson issued this statement to Gothamist yesterday: "The new line of Citi Bikes are very popular with riders with a sleeker, more comfortable design. Like with any innovation we've learned lessons and are making improvements to durability, but all Citi Bikes on the road are extremely safe — with nearly 28 million rides and no fatalities."

Annual Citi Bike membership will increase 4% in 2016

[Photo by Derek Berg]

Here's the official word from Citi Bike:

Beginning on March 1 2016, annual memberships will increase from $149 to $155 to keep up with the costs of administering a growing and improving system at the level of quality riders have come to expect from Citi Bike. Annual members will also have the option to pay in monthly installments of $14.95, with an annual commitment.

NYCHA residents will continue to receive discounted $60 annual memberships and, for the first time, will have the option of paying for their membership in $5 monthly installments.

They also note that the Citi Bike network is 40 percent larger today than it was at this time in 2015 ... with 100-plus more stations on the way in 2016.

Just picking up some breakfast before heading out to LaGuardia

Cooper Square and St. Mark's Place this morning... (and there aren't actually any docking stations at LaGuardia. Closest you'll get is 21st Street and 41st Avenue in Long Island City...)

Noted

[Photo from June by Derek Berg]

More people are stealing Citi Bikes, according to the Post today.

The number of Citi Bikes stolen from docking stations and off the street has skyrocketed this year compared with 2014, with a 100 percent jump in Manhattan.

So far this year, 476 Citi Bikes have been stolen throughout the city, compared with 300 in 2014, an increase of nearly 60 percent.

There are also more bikes in circulation… anyway, according to Post:

Many riders fail to dock their bikes properly or leave them sitting on the street while they run an errand. And that’s when thieves most often strike.

“Some dope with a Citi Bike leaves it unattended while going into a store or something, and a perp comes up and steals it,” a police source said.

So, as a reminder, don't leave the bikes unattended. Or put them on a fence.

Citi Bike Pride

Happy Pride NYC! @Citibank and @citibike #ridewithpride

A photo posted by @citibike on Jun 22, 2015 at 7:10am PDT

The LGBT Pride Month bikes debuted this morning at Union Square... and the bikes will remain in the system for two weeks, according to the Citi Bike Instagram account.