Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Bike Sharing

New Yorkers Are Riding Citi Bike to Transit

Citi Bikes aren’t performing that well. Photo: Adrian Nutter/Flickr

Citi Bike is helping New Yorkers connect to trains and buses, according to a new report from the NYU Rudin Center for Transportation [PDF].

The report by Rudin Center researchers Sarah Kaufman and Jenny O'Connell draws on Citi Bike's September 2016 trip data to analyze usage patterns.

Ninety-eight percent of September's Citi Bike trips were less than 45 minutes long. Image: NYU Rudin
Ninety-eight percent of Citi Bike trips in September were less than 45 minutes long. Image: NYU Rudin
Ninety-eight percent of September's Citi Bike trips were less than 45 minutes long. Image: NYU Rudin

In 2016, Citi Bike routinely hit ridership records as it continued to expand and draw new members. Annual subscriptions reached 115,000, after falling the previous year. This year, the growth should continue as new stations are coming this year to Harlem, Astoria, and Prospect Heights.

Almost half the trips last September -- 48 percent -- were under 10 minutes long, which indicates that riders are using bike-share to make short trips within their neighborhoods or "as last-mile connections to transit," according to Kaufman and O'Connell.

"People are using Citi Bike in short distance that are perhaps too short to jump on a subway, but may be too long to walk," Kaufman told the Daily News. "Citi Bike introduces a new options that... really cuts down on travel times."

While Rudin didn't directly survey riders about combining bike-share and transit, the authors note that a disproportionate number of trips originate near large transit hubs like Grand Central, Penn Station, and Union Square. In some locations, bike-share can also shorten the trip to the train or the bus -- 18 percent of Manhattan residential buildings are closer to a Citi Bike station than to a subway entrance or bus stop.

This year, new stations are coming to Harlem, Astoria, and Prospect Heights. The de Blasio administration has no public plans to extend Citi Bike beyond that zone, but the City Council is agitating for further expansion. Looking ahead, Kaufman and O'Connell anticipate that the service can be valuable in many more neighborhoods beyond the current service area, as long as adequate station density and proximity to transit are maintained.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

‘Preventable’: Hit-and-Run Driver Kills Two on Third Av. Corridor Eric Adams Refuses to Make Safer

A motorist struck and killed two men on a strip where Mayor Adams recently shelved a safety redesign amid a backlash from local business interests.

July 11, 2025

Why No BRT For NYC? Two New Reports Tackle Why Your Bus Service Sucks

Years of bus priority projects barely made a dent in speeds because Big Apple leaders won't install real bus rapid transit, two recent reports argue.

July 11, 2025

Citi Bike Riders Are Pissed About Eric Adams’s 15 MPH Speed Limit

Citi Bike's new 15 mph max speed limit is a bad deal for riders and a potential threat to safety, riders said.

July 11, 2025

Friday Video: Cyclists, Check Out Your Next City

Streetfilms' Clarence Eckerson visited London earlier this summer to check in on the Big Smoke's cycling revolution.

July 11, 2025

Friday’s Headlines: Just the News Edition

We've got one more workday before we can hit the beach. Plus the news.

July 11, 2025

Council To Close Instacart Loophole, Pass Delivery Industry Regulation Bills

The City Council will vote on Monday to close the "Instacart loophole" and force all app companies to pay workers a minimum wage.

July 10, 2025
See all posts