Friday’s Headlines: Kids on Bikes Edition

Hey, teens, wouldn’t you like a discount on Citi Bike membership?

The answer is, obviously, yes, given that an annual membership for the city’s privately operated bike-share system is $239 per year — expensive for many, but prohibitive for teenagers or college students.

That’s why Council Member Christopher Marte (D-Manhattan) and Transportation Alternatives are pushing a legislative package to give a discount for public school students aged 16 or older, for residents over 64, and for students at the City University of New York. (The first bill is sponsored by Council Member Farah Louis, Democrat of Brooklyn; the other two by Marte.)

A separate bill by Council Member Lincoln Restler (D-Brooklyn) would peg the price of an hour on an e-bike and two hours on classic bikes to the subway fare.

“Citi Bike can’t just be for people who can afford another expensive monthly bill,” Marte told Streetsblog. “Students, CUNY students, and seniors need affordable ways to get around this city, too. If we want bike share to be part of our transportation system, then we must make sure New Yorkers can actually use it.”

Marte will champion the package with a bike ride from Brooklyn’s Grand Army Plaza to City Hall Park, where advocates, students, seniors, and elected officials will rally. The ride starts at 11 a.m.

In other news:

• The city wants to add a bus lane to Bay Parkway, which everyone, including the local state senator, knows is needed. But that didn’t stop the lawmaker, Steve Chan, from posting a silly video complaining about a few parking spaces that would be repurposed to make commutes faster for thousands of people. (amNY)
• The World Cup has started, so let the blames begin:
  • NJ Transit says Amtrak will be at fault if the rails fail. (NYDN)
  • Amtrak says it’s ready. (NYDN)
  • Maybe, but NJ Transit is renting boats anyway. (NY Post)
• Let’s get bold with development. (Vital City)
• Cars make people crazy. (NY Times)
• Delivery warehouses are really bad for struggling communities. (City Limits)
• A toddler was among four people injured in a crash on Flatlands Avenue. (News 12)
• The Queens Chronicle agrees with Streetsblog: Let’s crack down on illegal motorized devices.
• A Brooklyn rabbi banned scooters for the local bochurs after a young lad was injured … by a car driver. Hey, rabbi, how about banning cars first? (BoroPark24)
• And, finally, those of us who have worked at tabloid newspapers will appreciate the New York Times’s ironic tribute to the em dash.