Mayor de Blasio Announces That Citi Bike Rides Surged 40 Percent in 2016 -- Nearly 14 Million Trips Taken

December 29, 2016

New York City’s bike share system shatters annual ridership record for third consecutive year, exceeding 2015 record by 4 million trips

NEW YORK—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.

“In 2016, we fulfilled our pledge to grow Citi Bike, a sustainable transit option, to a range of more diverse Manhattan and Brooklyn communities – from upper Manhattan to Red Hook,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “New Yorkers in these communities really took to Citi Bike, further cementing its reputation as the nation’s largest popular bike-share program. With more Brooklyn and Queens neighborhoods slated to get bikes in 2017, we can continue to expect great things.”

“The expansion of Citi Bike in 2016 has brought record-breaking ridership and transformed neighborhoods,” said Department of Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg. “We look forward to bringing Citi Bike to Astoria, Crown Heights and Prospect Heights in 2017. I thank Mayor Bill de Blasio for his leadership as well as the DOT and Motivate teams for working hard for another fantastic year for Citi Bike.”

“Citi Bike’s latest record shows that bike share is fulfilling its promise as a vital part of New York’s transportation network – increasing access to the city’ transit network and communities underserved by public transit,” said Motivate President and CEO Jay H. Walder. “Citi Bike riders are regularly taking 60,000 rides daily during peak months, and that number keeps growing thanks to innovative partnerships across the city that encourage people of all backgrounds to give blue bikes a try.”

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.

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.

”We are proud of our role in a public-private partnership that has created such a useful and enjoyable transportation solution for New York City,” said Citi Head of Public Affairs Edward Skyler. “Most importantly, we appreciate the Citi Bike riders who have continued to make this program such a success as it gets bigger and better.” 

“Citi Bike has become a crucial new addition to the transportation network for many New Yorkers, and these numbers are the proof,” said Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer. “As Citi Bike expands to more neighborhoods throughout Manhattan and the rest of the city, I look forward to seeing Citi Bike usage reach new heights.”

"When we first invested in New York's bike share program in 2012, our capital allowed a small business with big dreams to launch the largest privately funded bike share program in the world. We doubled down on Citi Bike in 2014 with additional financing to facilitate expansion of the system and are delighted to see the program hit this incredible milestone," said Margaret Anadu, Managing Director of the Urban Investment Group at Goldman Sachs. "The program has created quality jobs, promoted economic development and changed the way many New Yorkers and visitors experience this amazing city."

Motivate ensures that Citi Bike remains affordable for lower-income New Yorkers by offering reduced-cost memberships for NYCHA residents, IDNYC holders and members of select Community Development Credit Unions.

Motivate, the Department of Transportation and the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene continue to partner with community organizations, such as the historic Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation, to help increase and diversify participation in bike share. Membership is up over 50 percent in Bed Stuy since the partnership began. Motivate plans to launch similar partnerships in communities including East Harlem and Two Bridges in 2017.

About Citi Bike
The Citi Bike program is New York’s bike share system. It will have 12,000 bikes at over 700 stations by the end of 2017. Stations are currently located in Manhattan as far north as 110th Street and in the Brooklyn neighborhoods of Downtown Brooklyn, DUMBO, Brooklyn Heights, Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Williamsburg and Greenpoint and in Long Island City, Queens. With stations located every few blocks, the program has expanded this year into Harlem, Park Slope, Boerum Hill, Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens, Gowanus and Red Hook. Annual members receive an electronic key to undock a bike from any station, allowing unlimited trips up to 45 minutes without incurring any additional costs. Twenty-four-hour passes are available for purchase at any Citi Bike station or through the Citi Bike app and provide unlimited 30-minute trips. Reduced cost memberships are available for NYCHA residents and members of select credit unions throughout the city, and for IDNYC holders in their first year of membership.