New York Metropolis Council Members Farah Louis and Christopher Marte, on Wednesday, Could 28, launched “The Wheel Deal,” a legislative bundle geared toward making Citi Bikes extra reasonably priced and accessible for 2 underserved teams: public college college students aged 16 and up and older adults.
Forward of the bundle’s introduction, the council members held a rally outdoors Metropolis Corridor, at a close-by Citi Bike station, joined by transportation advocates and neighborhood leaders, to highlight the urgent want for equitable transportation choices throughout the 5 boroughs.
The legislative bundle contains Intro. 1287, launched by Louis, which might require the NYC Division of Transportation to implement a reduced Citi Bike membership program for public highschool college students aged 16 and up.
A companion invoice, Intro. 1288, launched by Marte and co-primed by Louis, would prolong an identical discounted charge to older adults.
Louis, who represents the forty fifth Council District in Brooklyn, mentioned that, for a lot of college students juggling college, part-time jobs, and after-school commitments, the price of Citi Bike stays “a major barrier.”
She mentioned older adults on fastened incomes face comparable challenges.
“As Citi Bike expands into outer-borough neighborhoods the place automotive possession is usually important, and public transit choices may be unreliable, these prices put bike-share out of attain for a lot of New York households,” mentioned Louis.
“This laws seeks to remove these monetary hurdles, making Citi Bike an reasonably priced and accessible transportation possibility for each college students and seniors,” she added.
By rising entry, Louis mentioned the payments assist more healthy life, higher independence, and stronger neighborhood ties whereas advancing the town’s objectives of fairness and sustainable mobility.
“Reasonably priced bike-share not solely opens doorways to alternative but in addition helps cut back bike theft and forestall the criminalization of younger individuals, fostering safer neighborhoods,” Louis mentioned. “I am proud to introduce this laws to make Citi Bike extra reasonably priced for public college college students aged 16 and older.
“As Citi Bike expands deeper into our outer-borough neighborhoods, we should be certain that this service stays equitable and accessible to the communities who want it most,” she added. “Affordability and fairness have to be central issues if this program is to actually serve all households.
“By lowering monetary boundaries to bike share entry, we’re serving to our younger individuals transfer safely, independently, and affordably by way of their neighborhoods, strengthening entry to training, employment, and alternative throughout our metropolis,” Louis continued.
Marte, representing District 1 in decrease Manhattan, mentioned: “Transportation shouldn’t be a privilege — it needs to be a proper.”
District 1 contains the Monetary District-Battery Park Metropolis; Tribeca-Civic Heart; The Battery-Governors Island-Ellis Island-Liberty Island; SoHo-Little Italy-Hudson Sq.; Chinatown-Two Bridges; and Decrease East Aspect.
“By making Citi Bike extra reasonably priced for seniors and public college college students, we’re opening the door to extra equitable entry throughout our metropolis,” Marte mentioned. “As somebody who makes use of Citi Bike almost each day, I do know firsthand how empowering it’s to have fast, dependable and wholesome transportation.
“This laws is about justice, well being, and giving individuals of all ages a greater technique to transfer round their neighborhoods,” he added. “When our children and our elders can thrive, our entire metropolis thrives.”
Valerie De La Rosa, chair of Manhattan Neighborhood Board 2, mentioned that “as rising prices proceed to burden New Yorkers, reasonably priced transportation choices for older adults and public college college students foster wholesome communities and strengthen the financial vitality of neighborhoods.”
“We’re thrilled to see Council Members Marte and Louis championing laws that might make bike share extra reasonably priced and accessible for New Yorkers,” mentioned Christopher Rosario, chair of the Youth Activist Committee for Transportation Alternate options. “This invoice bundle is a transparent indicator of the rising demand for sustainable and wholesome transportation choices.
“We consider that by investing in applications like this, notably by way of public funding, we will really unlock the potential of motorcycle share to serve each neighborhood,” he added.
Emily Jacobi, Manhattan organizer at Transportation Alternate options, mentioned that “the overwhelming majority of New York Metropolis college students and older adults bike, stroll, or take transit to highschool — however there’s nonetheless no accessible manner for college students and seniors to decide on Citi Bike.
“For years, Transportation Alternate options has been preventing for a $5/month Citi Bike membership possibility for college students, and we’re excited to see new laws that would make this crucial mode of transportation extra reasonably priced for riders of all ages and skills,” she added. “Let’s get it completed!”
