NYC on a Roll: Citi Bike Breaks Ridership Records

The Citi Bike bikeshare system in New York is achieving record new successes, despite never having received zero funding from city coffers.

1 minute read

May 26, 2021, 5:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


New York City, New York

rblfmr / Shutterstock

"Gorgeous spring weather and the growing pace of reopening has been a major boon for New York City’s bike-share program," reports Jake Offenhartz.

Offenhartz is sharing the latest ridership data from Citi Bike, which includes data from the week of May 9, when Citi Bike provided a new record 631,314 rides. The Friday and Saturday of that week saw single day ridership records, with 103,159 and and 118,590 rides, respectively.

Mayor Bill de Blasio, seen recently riding Citi Bike, is quoted in the article promising to keep the city's bike boom rolling. "The surge in ridership comes as Citi Bike continues its expansion into the boroughs. But while new docks have appeared this year in Astoria, Sunset Park, and Inwood, some have criticized the system's growth as too slow," according to Offenhartz. "Even after a phase three expansion is completed in 2023, huge swaths of the city will remain unconnected from the bike share network."

Citi Bike has received no funding from the city, according to Offenhartz—which makes the recent ridership all the more notable compared to, for example, the NYC Ferry system, a favorite cause of de Blasio Administration, which is set to received $600 million in taxpayer funding in the coming years while serving 9,000 riders a day.

Tuesday, May 18, 2021 in Gothamist

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

Use Code 25for25 at checkout for 25% off an annual plan!

Redlining map of Oakland and Berkeley.

Rethinking Redlining

For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.

May 15, 2025 - Alan Mallach

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.

May 14, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Rendering of California High-Speed Rail station with bullet train.

California High-Speed Rail's Plan to Right Itself

The railroad's new CEO thinks he can get the project back on track. The stars will need to align this summer.

May 19, 2025 - Benjamin Schneider

Cobblestone street with vintage street lamps in Savannah, Georgia.

Savannah Reduces Speed Limits on Almost 100 City Streets

The historic Georgia city is lowering speed limits in an effort to reduce road fatalities.

May 20 - WJCL

Sign for Loma Alta Park in Altadena, Los Angeles County.

A Park Reborn: Resilience and Renewal in Fire-Stricken Altadena

Rebuilt in just two months after the devastating Eaton Fire, Loma Alta Park now stands as a symbol of community resilience and renewal, even as some residents hope recovery efforts will continue to support housing stability and long-term equity.

May 20 - Pasadena NOw

Colorful historic homes in Madrid, Spain.

Spain Moves to Ban 66,000 Airbnbs

The national government is requiring the short-term rental operator to remove thousands of illegal listings from its site as part of an effort to stem a growing housing crisis.

May 20 - The New York Times

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.