Citi Bike Launches Dockless Bike Share Experiment

Instead of expanding the traditional docked bike share stations, Citi Bike will launch new dockless bikes in the Bronx.

1 minute read

August 17, 2018, 6:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Citi Bike Rack

Joe Mazzola / flickr

"Citi Bike launched in the Bronx yesterday with a small fleet of dockless bicycles and a lot of asterisks," reports Ben Fried.

Fried did some spot checks and test rides of the company’s dockless offering on the day of the launch and discovered a "ton of potential" but enough question marks to decide the service is unreliable.

The new bikes are the first in a test run with dockless bike share instead of new docked bikes—a pilot effort undertaken by de Blasio administration. The first dockless bikes will soon multiply: "By next week, Motivate, the company that runs Citi Bike, expects to have 200 bicycles on the street in the area roughly between Bronx Park and the Harlem River."

According to Fried, however, the small service area for the new dockless bikes means, "[f]or now, these neighborhoods are getting an experiment in dockless Citi Bike, not access to bike-share that serves as a viable option for many types of trips."

Thursday, August 16, 2018 in StreetsBlog NYC

Aerial view of homes on green hillsides in Daly City, California.

Depopulation Patterns Get Weird

A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.

April 10, 2024 - California Planning & Development Report

Aerial view of Oakland, California with bay in background

California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million

Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.

April 11, 2024 - Los Angeles Times

A view straight down LaSalle Street, lined by high-rise buildings with an El line running horizontally over the street.

Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing

Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.

April 10, 2024 - Chicago Construction News

Officials cutting a ceremonial red ribbon at Skyline Ranch Park in Santa Clarita, California.

New Park Opens in the Santa Clarita Valley

The City of Santa Clarita just celebrated the grand opening of its 38th park, the 10.5-acre Skyline Ranch Park.

April 18 - The Signal

Workers putting down asphalt on road.

U.S. Supreme Court: California's Impact Fees May Violate Takings Clause

A California property owner took El Dorado County to state court after paying a traffic impact fee he felt was exorbitant. He lost in trial court, appellate court, and the California Supreme Court denied review. Then the U.S. Supreme Court acted.

April 18 - Los Angeles Times

Aerial view of Barcelona, Spain with Sagrada Familia church in middle among dense buildings.

How Urban Form Impacts Housing Affordability

The way we design cities affects housing costs differently than you might think.

April 18 - The Conversation

News from HUD User

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Call for Speakers

Mpact Transit + Community

New Updates on PD&R Edge

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.