Low-income New Yorkers from Harlem to Hollis can access more than just a book at the city’s three public library systems — as of this past week, they can get a free month of Citi Bike too.
Thanks to a new partnership between Citi Bike, the New York, Brooklyn, and Queens Public Library, and made available through the Reduced Fair Bike Share program presented by Healthfirst.
New Yorkers who live in NYCHA developments or receive SNAP benefits need only visit the circulation desk at any of the nearly sixty library branches within the Citi Bike service area in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens to pick up a gift certificate that will give them access to their first month of Citi Bike free. This offer will only be available to new Citi Bike members while supplies last at the local branches.
Riders can use the gift certificates to sign up on citibikenyc.com/reducedfare.
“As key resources for New Yorkers, Citi Bike and our public libraries are natural partners, ” said Caroline Samponaro, Head of Micromobility Policy at Lyft, the operator of Citi Bike. “As Citi Bike expands in the coming years, so too will our efforts to ensure that the system is accessible and equitable for everyone. We’re thrilled to begin this innovative partnership to bring affordable bikeshare to more low-income residents across New York this summer.”
“New Yorkers have long relied on the city’s public libraries to provide access to knowledge, information, and opportunity, and this partnership with Citi Bike is certainly an extension of that,” said New York Public Library Interim Chief Library Officer Caryl Matute. “We are happy to provide our patrons with information about and access to a beneficial program that we believe they need and want. And while they visit our branches to learn more about discounted Citi Bike, we hope they sign up for a library card and explore all of the books, classes, programs and more that we offer every day.”
“The Library has always served the public with free access to education, information and resources. Now by adding access to free and low-cost transportation, the possibilities are truly endless. Riders can easily find their way to a job interview, a medical appointment or a lecture at the local library,” said Nick Higgins, Brooklyn Public Library Chief Librarian. “We are truly delighted to partner with Citi Bike to bring this opportunity to many more people in Brooklyn.”
“Citi Bike’s reduced fare gift certificates will offer many people who visit our libraries in western Queens and our tech lab at the Queensbridge Houses equitable access to a healthy transportation option that respects the environment,” said Queens Public Library President and CEO Dennis M. Walcott. “We are delighted to work with Citi Bike, Lyft, Healthfirst, the New York City Department of Transportation and the Brooklyn and New York public library systems to help set in motion another opportunity for discovery, learning, and growth for New Yorkers.”
“We have been really pleased with the participants during the first year of the Reduced Fare Bike Share program and we are excited that the partnership between Citi Bike and the New York Public Library System will help bring additional awareness to those that could benefit from it the most,” said Errol Pierre, SVP, State Programs at Healthfirst. “Growth in sign-ups and high-frequency ridership demonstrates that Citi Bike is playing a key role in meeting the transportation needs of thousands of low-income New Yorkers and reaffirms Healthfirst’s commitment to helping people get healthy and stay healthy.”
“New York’s libraries serve an indispensable role in providing an opportunity to diverse communities, making the partnership between Citi Bike and the City’s library systems so exciting,” said DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg. “Because it also provides such tremendous benefits, cycling in New York City has been growing faster than any other mode of travel. Getting library users to access to Citi Bike will be another excellent way to further grow the nation’s largest bike-share program. I thank Lyft and Healthfirst, as their efforts will help even more NYCHA residents and SNAP recipients access what has become a key part of our transportation system.”
As part of the partnership between Citi Bike and the library systems, New Yorkers who qualify for the Reduced Fair Bike Share program presented by Healthfirst will be provided with unlimited 45-minute rides during an initial 30-day period. Once the first month is completed, riders can choose to continue their membership, paying only $5 a month — less than the cost of two swipes of a MetroCard. For added flexibility, there is no annual commitment or auto-renew. Members can re-enroll at any time by simply taking a Citi Bike trip once their initial month is over, and their membership will be activated for another 30-day period.
This partnership is part of a broader celebration of the first anniversary of the Reduced Fare Bike Share program, presented by Healthtfirst. More than 7,500 people have taken part in the program for at least one month over the course of the past year. More than 3,500 New Yorkers are currently enrolled in the Reduced Fare Bike Share program. These members ride, on average, about twice as frequently as those with annual memberships.
In addition to learning about Reduced Fare Bike Share in their local libraries, New Yorkers now can get connected to the program in myriad ways in their own communities. As part of its sponsorship, Healthfirst recently funded a $300,000 Community Grant Program to help Citi Bike in raising awareness about Reduced Fare Bike Share and helping to build a culture of bike share in underserved neighborhoods. Inaugural recipients of these community grants are the Bedford-Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation, GrowNYC, Urban Upbound, Union Settlement, GOLES, Red Hook Initiative, and El Puente Bushwick. Citi Bike also rolled out an ad campaign this June in Chinese, English, and Spanish and includes information about the program on twenty bus shelters, six print and online publications, as well as online banner ads.
Citi Bike is New York City’s bike-share system, and the largest and most popular in the nation with more than 81 million rides taken to date across more than 13,000 bikes at nearly 800 stations. Over the coming years, Citi Bike will greatly expand into new neighborhoods as Citi Bike doubles its service area by 35 square miles and triples the number of bikes in the fleet to 40,000. Annual memberships are $169 for 365 days of unlimited 45-minute rides, and New Yorkers who live in NYCHA developments or receive SNAP benefits can access Citi Bike for only $5 a month through Reduced Fare Bike Share, presented by Healthfirst. Citi Bike is now available in the Lyft app, where customers can find real-time station information and unlock bikes. Learn more at https://www.citibikenyc.com/.
The New York Public Library is a free provider of education and information for the people of New York and beyond. With 92 locations—including research and branch libraries—throughout the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island, the Library offers free materials, computer access, classes, exhibitions, programming and more to everyone from toddlers to scholars, and has seen record numbers of attendance and circulation in recent years. The New York Public Library serves nearly 17 million patrons who come through its doors annually and millions more around the globe who use its resources at www.nypl.org. To offer this wide array of free programming, The New York Public Library relies on both public and private funding. Learn more about how to support the Library at nypl.org/support.
Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) is an independent library system for the 2.5 million residents of Brooklyn. It is the sixth-largest library system in the United States with 60 neighborhood libraries located throughout the borough. BPL offers free programs and services for all ages and stages of life, including a large selection of books in more than 30 languages, author talks, literacy programs and public computers. BPL’s eResources, such as eBooks and eVideos, catalog information and free homework help, are available to customers of all ages 24 hours a day at our website.
Queens Public Library is one of the largest and busiest public library systems in the United States, dedicated to serving the most ethnically and culturally diverse area in the country. An independent, non-profit organization founded in 1896, Queens Public Library offers free access to a collection of more than 5 million books and other materials in multiple languages, technology and digital resources, and more than 80,000 educational, cultural, and civic programs a year. It consists of 65 locations, including branch libraries, a Central Library, seven adult learning centers, a technology center, two universal pre-kindergartens, and two teen centers.
Healthfirst is New York’s largest not-for-profit health insurer, earning the trust of nearly 1.4 million members by offering access to affordable healthcare. Sponsored by New York City’s leading hospitals, Healthfirst’s unique advantage is rooted in its mission to put members first by working closely with its broad network of providers on shared goals. Healthfirst takes pride in being pioneers of the value-based care model, now recognized as a national best practice. For more than 25 years, Healthfirst has built its reputation in the community for top-quality products and services New Yorkers can depend on. It has grown significantly to serve the needs of members, offering market-leading products to fit every life stage including Medicaid plans, Medicare Advantage plans, long-term care plans, qualified health plans and individual and small group plans. For more information on Healthfirst, please visit healthfirst.org.
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