STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Borough President Vito Fossella and Assemblyman Michael Cusick (D-Mid Island) are decided to get Staten Island included in Citi Bike’s bicycle share program and they’re calling on the New York City Department of Transit (DOT) and Con Edison to assist.
Citi Bike launched a five-year expansion in 2019 in partnership with NYC, which is anticipated to be accomplished in 2023, to incorporate extra neighborhoods in the outer boroughs. Prior to the Lyft owned firm’s expansion, the Bronx and Staten Island didn’t have Citi Bikes, however the Bronx has since been included in the community.
Recently, Citi Bike has been in dialogue with Con Edison and DOT about connecting their docking stations to town’s electrical grid, which might permit e-bikes to cost whereas parked as a substitute of staff having to switch the batteries.
Cusick and Fossella penned a letter to DOT and Con Edison calling on the company and utility firm to discontinue discussions of connecting Citi Bike docking stations to town’s electrical grid earlier than including Staten Island to the citywide community.
“This is a matter of equity and it troubles me to see Staten Island excluded from such a positive citywide transportation program,” Fossella stated in the press launch in regards to the letter.
“By requesting that the DOT and Con Edison stop any further conversations with Citi Bike, we hope to trigger an action plan to bring Citi Bike service to this borough. I thank Assemblymember Mike Cusick for recognizing the importance of this issue and supporting this endeavor for Staten Island,” the borough president continued.
Cusick described Staten Island’s exclusion from the Citi Bike program as “nonsensical.”
“Staten Island is just as much a part of this city as every other borough. There is no reason why Staten Island should be excluded from the Citi Bike program while the rest of the city gets to enjoy the benefits,” he stated.
“As the borough with the least transportation alternatives, the Citi Bike program would be especially beneficial for Staten Island. I am glad to be working with Borough President Fossella to bring Citi Bikes to Staten Island.”
In their letter, Cusick and Fossella notice that town constructed bike lanes all through Staten Island, “which makes the fact that we do not have Citi Bike all the more objectionable.”
The officers once more ask DOT and Con Edison to work with the borough to make Citi Bikes accessible on Staten Island:
“The fact that Citi Bike is in discussions to connect its docking stations to the city’s electrical grid demonstrates that the modality is a success and expanding, but we implore DOT and Con Ed to work with us to finally include Staten Island in the Citi Bike network.”
Cusick and Fossella conclude the letter referring to the state of affairs as “a matter of equity, fairness, and public health,” and declaring the irony of this system’s identify.
“It’s time ‘Citi Bike’ lives up to it moniker and includes all five boroughs of the city in its service area,” they wrote.
SHORT-LIVED BIKE SHARE PROGRAMS ON S.I.
In July 2018, throughout City Hall in Your Borough, dockless bikes from two totally different corporations — JUMP and Lime — arrived on Staten Island’s North Shore.
Unlike the Citi Bike program, the place riders are required to hire and return bikes at stations across the metropolis, the dockless bike share program doesn’t have bodily dock stations, permitting riders to park nearly anyplace throughout the space limits.
The DOT acquired overwhelmingly optimistic suggestions from Staten Island residents concerning the bike share program, with 74% of respondents deeming dockless bike share “a great service for the city.”
In 2019, DOT ended the JUMP and Lime bike share packages on Staten Island and introduced a bikes from a brand new supplier from the United Kingdom, Beryl, would be accessible throughout the borough in spring of 2020. The 2020 launch was postponed to spring of 2021 because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Staten Islanders have been disillusioned once more when spring arrived in 2021 and Beryl bikes by no means reached the Island. Beryl had pulled the plug resulting from logistical problems associated to the continuing pandemic; the borough has not had a motorbike share program since.