Citi Bike is expanding a program that offers reduced monthly memberships to low-income New York City residents in an attempt to make alternative transit options more accessible, the mayor’s office and city Department of Transportation announced Tuesday.
The $5 per month membership, previously only available to New York City Housing Authority residents, will now be provided to New Yorkers who receive benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also called SNAP. A regular annual Citi Bike membership costs $169 a year for unlimited 45-minute rides, and there is no monthly payment option available.
The expansion, made possible through a partnership with the nonprofit Healthfirst, means over 1.8 million additional city residents are now eligible for discounted Citi Bike memberships.
“Affordable bike-share for more New Yorkers helps us build a fairer and more equitable city,” de Blasio said in a statement Tuesday. “Improving mobility for SNAP recipients in our city will help them make ends meet by giving them greater access to jobs, services and educational opportunities.”
SNAP recipients can apply for the discount by going to the Citi Bike website and entering their EBT card number (or NYCHA tenant ID).
The discount program — a 66 percent drop in price compared to a regular Citi Bike membership — does not require an annual commitment and includes rides on 12,000 bikes from over 750 stations in Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan. Members will also be able to access Citi Bike’s new dockless bike-share program in Coney Island when it launches later in 2018.
The bike-share company has teamed up with the city’s Human Resources Administration, the Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation and other organizations to inform residents of the opportunity to sign up. Outreach events will be held at SNAP enrollment centers, greenmarkets, community centers and NYCHA developments.
