The Bronx and Staten Island are the city’s only two boroughs that go without a single Citi Bike docking station. Somehow, the bike sharing program managed to expand into Jersey City before venturing into the two neglected boroughs and when asked about it in November 2016, Department of Transportation officials said there was “currently no timetable to extend into the two boroughs.”
Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez, who represents Manhattan’s District 10, previously pitched a plan that would support the expansion into new neighborhoods with public funds, arguing that underserved outer boroughs should have the same access to the program as everyone else. His idea drew support from Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., however, DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg had some concerns about using tax dollars for the expansion since Citi Bike is run by private company, Motivate.
Apparently things changed somewhere along the line and according to the New York Post, the DOT is negotiating with Motivate to expand into the Bronx and Staten Island. As it stands, the plan is to figure out a way to make it happen without using any public funds. Citi Bike officials are asking the DOT to consider waiving the lost parking meter fees associated with installing the docking stations.
Curbed reached out to both Motivate and the DOT for comments but neither offered an immediate response.
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