4,000 speedsters were supposed to be deployed by Citi Bike by the end of June, but the company reported that only approximately 1,000 of the bikes had reached the streets. These bikes will be changed out for the “original” model, which Citi Bike describes as non-pedal assisted.
The $2 per ride premium for a pedal-assist bike when the firm announced the expansion was justified by the additional work required to change out batteries. Up until April 27, annual members could borrow electric Citi Bikes for no additional cost, though Wood indicated the deadline might be extended once all the e-bikes are back on the road.
In November, Citi Bike made the announcement that it would increase its fleet size from 12,000 to 40,000 bikes over the following five years. The progress of that extension is unknown. The fortunate receivers of the brand-new e-bikes or “traditional” Citi Bikes have not yet been identified as any neighborhoods. Only parts of Manhattan below 130th Street, Western Queens, and a crescent of Brooklyn from Greenpoint through Downtown to Park Slope now have access to the system.
Contrary to other forms of public transportation, Citi Bike does not receive any subsidies from the city. Compared to the mayor’s ferry system, which receives millions in public funding, the system carries a significantly greater number of passengers. Each trip on an NYC ferry costs $2.75 for passengers, but it costs the government more than $10. Citi Bike provides service to tens of thousands of riders each day on average.
Other Lyft-owned systems removed their e-bikes on Sunday as well, including those in Washington, DC, and the San Francisco Bay area. For members, a pedal-assist bike ride with Capital Bikeshare costs just $1. On Monday, though, the membership fee was about to begin. A new bike type was going to be introduced by San Francisco’s Ford GoBike system. It’s uncertain whether that will occur on time.
Check back for updates as this is a breaking story that is breaking. Here is Citi Bike’s complete statement as of right now. (GoBike and Capital Bikeshare released roughly the same statement)
Riders have taken hundreds of thousands of rides and provided us with tremendously helpful and overwhelmingly favorable feedback since Citi Bike initially introduced pedal-assist bikes last year.
However, a few riders have recently reported experiencing braking forces on the front wheel that were more than they had anticipated. We are proactively taking the pedal-assist bikes out of operation for the time being out of an abundance of caution. We are aware that many users who enjoy the existing experience will find this frustrating, but dependability and safety must always come first.
We have been working diligently on a new pedal-assist bike and can’t wait to share it with you. The new bike type will be simpler to access by simply scanning a QR code and will be more enjoyable to ride overall. We will swiftly switch the pedal-assist bikes out for traditional pedal cycles in the interim.
