Citi Bike neglects poor areas: study
It’s a tale of two Citi Bikes.
A report published Wednesday revealed the bikesharing network neglects many of New York’s low-income neighborhoods and communities of color while giving priority to the most well-to-do parts of the city.
The disparity outlined in the report is so stark that Councilman Ritchie Torres (D-Bronx) said the network was the “transportation equivalent to redlining.”
Commissioned by nonprofit New York Communities for Change and authored by McGill University’s School of Urban Planning, the report cites U.S. Census data and publicly available information on the locations of Citi Bike docks.
McGill’s researchers found the median household income in neighborhoods that have Citi Bike docks is $90,400, compared to $54,700 in areas excluded from the network.
And, the report said, Citi Bike serves white New Yorkers at a disproportionately high rate: 16.5% of the city’s people of color live in the network’s service area compared to 37% of white residents.
Researchers also found Citi Bike does not help fill transit deserts — only 3.8% of New Yorkers who live more than a half mile from a subway station have access to bike docks.
“New York is a city where not a lot of people drive and most people rely on the subway or other forms of transit,” said David Wachsmuth, one of the authors of the report. “There’s a huge opportunity for bike sharing to actually make a difference in the lives of people who need it, and connect them to the subway. Systematically, Citi Bike is not living up to that opportunity.”
The Department of Transportation decides where Citi Bike sets up its docks. The network launched in Manhattan’s central business district in 2013. Since then, the service area has expanded to contiguous neighborhoods, many of which are gentrifying.
“There’s a reason to believe if Citi Bike is in your neighborhood, it’s gentrifying and turning over,” said Jonathan Westin, New York Communities for Change executive director. “The goal of Citi Bike isn’t necessarily to serve the residents of New York. The goal of Citi Bike is to make money.”
Citi Bike’s parent company, Motivate, which manages bike-sharing networks across the country, was purchased by Lyft last year. The company vowed to invest $100 million to double the size of Citi Bike’s network and has launched a plan to give discounts to NYCHA residents and New Yorkers who rely on food stamps.
“Ensuring that diverse communities have access to Citi Bike is central to our mission,” said a Citi Bike rep. “As we expand ... we will reach many more neighborhoods.”
Where Citi Bike will expand remains to be seen. DOT officials did not reveal locations but said they would bring “geographic and demographic diversity into its coverage area and ridership.”
Torres said the City Council should ensure that Citi Bike’s next wave of expansion helps low-income neighborhoods.
“I’m not convinced that the market alone will produce greater equity and bike share access,” said Torres. “There needs to be a policy shift. If it’s not done intentionally, it’s not going to be done at all.”