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For many of us, Citi Bikes are the best way to get around in the summer. Depending on where you live, the bikes will likely be faster than a train and cheaper than an Uber.
But if you're a loyal Citi Bike rider, then you've probably also noticed that the prices have been going up for the past few years—and we're just about to witness a second annual hike.
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Starting next Wednesday, July 10, e-bike fees are going to increase from 20 cents per minute to 24 cents per minute for those with an annual Citi Bike or Lyft Pink All Access membership. Fee increases are going to be even steeper for non-members: from 30 cents per minute to 36 cents per minute. That means that, for non-members, a 15-minute e-bike ride will go from $4.50 to $5.40, about a dollar difference.
Keep in mind that all these changes will only be affecting e-bikes and not regular ones.
E-Bikes are pretty popular among New Yorkers: according to a report by Curbed, even though they make only about a third of all bikes in the system, they constitute 65% of all trips taken.
When analyzing the reasons behind the price increase, the report explains that the bikes aren't charged at the stations themselves. They need to be manually taken to a warehouse facility in Long Island City every time they lose battery to be recharged by Citi Bike workers, which is part of why overhead costs are so high.
Citi Bike also cited the higher-than-expected costs of swapping the bikes' batteries, vehicle expenses and insurance costs as primary reasons for the latest price increase.
The company did, however, recently announce a partnership with Con Edison and the Department of Transportation in order to add more pilot charging stations that will allow the e-bikes to be charged on site.
For now, the price of standard bikes will remain the same, and e-bike hikes will not be affecting Citi Bikes in New Jersey.