By Jeffrey Justice
Citi Bike has made it easier for New Yorkers in parts of Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens to get around, but what about the Bronx? The bike sharing serviced launched in May 2013 and now has over 330 stations with plans to add 6,000 bikes by 2017.
Bronxites say they want the program to come to the borough and that it makes good logistical, economic and health sense. “There’s a lack of connectivity in certain areas,” says Rossy Gomez, 20, a Bronx resident and student at Borough of Manhattan Community College. “I don’t want to have to wait for a bus for two hours to get to a train just because I’m in the middle of nowhere in the Bronx, like Throggs Neck.”
There are large, expansive, non-residential areas of the Bronx that that could use a program such as Citi Bike, they say. “There’s a ton of people who use bikes throughout the Bronx, but the kiosks would probably be useful in areas where there are big parks like Pelham and Van Cortlandt,” said Joseph Rosa, 20, an I.T. specialist who bikes from Castle Hill in the Bronx to Wall Street. “They could be placed in convenient places like 161st Street (near Yankee Stadium), Parkchester, Pelham Parkway, Morris Park, and other key areas around the Bronx that have tons of people traveling through daily.”
Current and planned Citi Bike locations
The New York City Department of Transportation runs the Citi Bike Program. The locations for the stations are based on the need for alternate forms of transportation. Areas such as Yankee Stadium and Pelham Bay Park could attract many tourists and bike riders just looking for a way to get around, say advocates.
“I could see the program expanding into the Bronx for the simple fact that it’s becoming a more cost efficient way of transportation,” said Brandon Roman, 22, a tier one repair technician for Citi Bike. “It can get you from point A to B.”
Citi Bike Assistant Technical Services Manager Angel Bianchi said the topic has been discussed. “There have most definitely been talks about program expansion,” he said. “We need to compare the demand for the program versus the resources we have.”
Some Bronx cyclists have suggested that the program could connect areas such as 242nd Street and Pelham Bay Park to areas of Upper Manhattan, which in some cases are only reachable by bus.
“I usually bike every day, but at the moment my bike sucks and I cannot ride it,” said cyclist Chloe Lohmann, 22, a college student. “So I’m stuck taking the stupid bus and train. The bikes should be near schools and major train stations in the Bronx.”
Affordability might be an issue for some Bronxites, but the program offers a range of rental fees for its bikes. A 24-hour rental costs only $9.95, a seven-day rental is $25 and a yearly membership is $149.
No comments