It will soon cost more green to get on one of New York City’s blue bikes. Beginning Jan. 28, annual memberships to Citi Bike will cost $185 plus tax, up from $179, according to a notice quietly posted to the bike share’s website. That’s about a 3 percent jump. Electric bike rides for members will cost 15 cents per minute, up from 12 cents, though trips starting or ending outside Manhattan will remain capped at $3 plus tax. Non-members will pay $3.99 per single ride, up from $3.50, and more for e-bikes as well. Citi Bike spokesman Jordan Levine chalked up the price hike to “inflation caused by increased supply chain costs” which he said “has significantly affected us similar to many other parts of the economy.” Bike parts in particular have risen in cost — as Citi Bike aims to add thousands of new docks to the system and roll out a new e-bike model. One Citi Bike frequent biker, who declined to be named, said the increase grinds his gears. “I just want to get around the city without having to keep paying more. Cycling’s great, but it’s a little less great when it costs more,” he said. Eric Finkelstein, the first Citi Bike rider to visit all 1,500+ stations, said he doesn’t sweat the price hike. “Citi Bike transformed NYC living for me, so I don’t mind the increase. Though it’s a reminder their fundamental issue hasn’t changed — entire neighborhoods chronically have no available bikes or docks. I wonder if the ongoing expansions this price hike funds will help with that,” he said. Citi Bike is owned by Silicon Valley-darling Lyft, which bought the bike share’s parent company in 2018. At the time it committed to invest $100 million into growing the Big Apple’s bike share; $87 million of that sum had been invested as of September, according to securities filings.
