The cost of a Citi Bike ride is going up once again. It is the fifth year this has happened in a row.
“It's crazy. It just went up," Ziarra Nicole, a Belmont resident, said. "Everything is expensive."
Effective Jan. 5, the price for members will rise from 25 cents per minute to 27 cents per minute. Non-members will have to pay 41 cents per minute, up from the previous cost of 28 cents per minute.
The cap on a ride that's 45 minutes or less in or out of Manhattan will go up from $5 to $5.40.
And effective Jan. 28, annual membership will rise from $220 to $239.
“It seems dumb because now it's like, why not just get a Lyft?" Jackie Murphy, a Fordham University student, said. "Why not just get in a car, which is bad, right?”
Lyft, which owns Citi Bike, says the price increases are "necessary to manage increased operation expenses, including the impact of rising tariffs."
A statement sent directly to News 12 from Citi Bike General Manager Patrick Knoth read:
"This adjustment reflects our continued investment in expanding Citi Bike to underserved neighborhoods and maintaining the largest bike share system in North America, without taxpayer subsidies. Since 2019, we've tripled the service area and fleet size while keeping our reduced-fare program at $5 per month."
NYCHA residents and SNAP recipients are eligible for this reduced-fare program.