Citi Bike’s New Contract: What You Need to Know

Double the e-bikes, but no system expansion: an outline of what riders can expect from Citi Bike’s new agreement with the city.

1 minute read

November 7, 2023, 5:00 AM PST

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Blue Citi Bike bicycles parked at a station in New York City with blurred brick brownstones in background.

James / Adobe Stock

Citi Bike’s e-bike fleet will double under a revised agreement with New York City, reports Dave Colon in Streetsblog NYC. However, the agreement doesn’t include system expansion or public funding for bike share, but for the first time, the contract now puts a cap on membership and per-minute prices.

According to Colon, “Going from 10,000 e-bikes to 20,000 e-bikes in a system of 40,000 bikes balances the reality on the ground, where currently almost half of all Citi Bike rides happen on e-bikes even as they comprise about 25 percent of the fleet.” But the agreement fails to bring bike share to Staten Island, Bay Ridge, and parts of Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx.

The amended contract includes a pilot program to electrify two Citi Bike stations so bikes can recharge while parked. As Colon explains, “Eventually, the goal is for Lyft to electrify 20 percent of the stations across the city, which may sound like a small number of stations, but is actually enough to cut down on 80 percent of the manual battery swaps the company currently has to do.”

Monday, November 6, 2023 in StreetsBlog NYC

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 9, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Aerial view of downtown San Antonio, Texas at night with rotating Tower of the Americas in foreground.

San Antonio and Austin are Fusing Into one Massive Megaregion

The region spanning the two central Texas cities is growing fast, posing challenges for local infrastructure and water supplies.

July 3, 2025 - Governing

White park shuttles with large Zion logo on side and red rock cliffs in background in Zion National Park.

Since Zion's Shuttles Went Electric “The Smog is Gone”

Visitors to Zion National Park can enjoy the canyon via the nation’s first fully electric park shuttle system.

5 hours ago - Reasons to Be Cheerful

Chart of federal transportation funding comparing Biden and Trump administration spending.

Trump Distributing DOT Safety Funds at 1/10 Rate of Biden

Funds for Safe Streets and other transportation safety and equity programs are being held up by administrative reviews and conflicts with the Trump administration’s priorities.

6 hours ago - Transportation for America

Close-up on yellow and black TAXI sign on top of beige car in central Munich, Germany.

German Cities Subsidize Taxis for Women Amid Wave of Violence

Free or low-cost taxi rides can help women navigate cities more safely, but critics say the programs don't address the root causes of violence against women.

7 hours ago - Bloomberg