The cost to ride electric Citi Bikes is too damn high.
That’s according to advocates who are calling on Mayor Zohran Mamdani to cap the e-bike fee for members at $3. Citi Bike members currently pay $12.15 for a 45-minute e-bike ride, on top of a $239 annual membership fee that also gives them free rides on analog, non-electric bikes.
Organizers with Transportation Alternatives said lowering fees would align with Mamdani’s affordability agenda and get more New Yorkers out of cars. The city currently provides no subsidies for Citi Bike, which is owned by Lyft.
Alexa Sledge, a spokesperson for Transportation Alternatives, pointed out that bike-share programs run by Lyft in other cities offer lower rates for e-bikes because they receive public subsidies.
“ When you look at the prices for using pretty much the exact same bike in New York City versus peer cities like D.C., Boston, Chicago, it's going to be substantially cheaper over there just because they view it as public transportation and New York City views it as a private cost,” Sledge said.
The city’s current contract with Lyft allows the company to raise Citi Bike prices. But when the agreement expires in 2029, the city transportation department could push for a cap during negotiations.
"This administration is committed to creating a more affordable city, including through transit options like Citi Bike,” said DOT spokesperson Will Livingstone. “In any near-term negotiations around bike share cost, and looking ahead to 2029, the Mamdani administration will work to secure the strongest benefits for riders and their wallets."
Mamdani has said he has a Citi Bike membership.
Lyft didn’t respond to a request for comment. The company has previously stated that the e-bikes are expensive to operate, with high costs for battery maintenance and insurance.
Workers have to manually replace depleted or defective batteries. Last December, when Citi Bike began charging non-members 41 cents per minute to ride its e-bikes, the company blamed the tariffs and expansion into underserved neighborhoods for raising its rates for the fifth straight year.
In addition to calling for a $3 cap on e-bike rides, Transportation Alternatives wants the city to expand a program offering discounted Citi Bike memberships to seniors and high school students aged 16 and over. The group also wants Lyft to give city employees free Citi Bike memberships.
