Politics & Government

No, You Can't Ride the Citibikes Yet

Unless you're already a member. Everyone else starts next week.

By Matthew Hampton

Citibikes arrived in their much-vaunted stables on Monday and now you too can just stare at the things without being able to use them.

Memorial Day marked the start of the week-long annual member preview for the city's most headline-grabbing new transportation initiative, and for the next week, all those forward thinking New Yorkers who ponied up the hundred bucks for an advance membership are just going to flaunt their rental bikes right in your face. 

It really feels a little like letting some kids open their Christmas presents a week early, doesn't it? 

Still, the time to ride will be here before you know it. (June 2, FYI) Curious about the Citibike program now that it's finally a reality? We've got some vital stats:

  • There are no Citibike stations in Prospect Heights, but there are several nearby.
  • An annual membership costs $95 ($80 if you happen to have a Citi credit card), one-off days are $10 and a week is $25. All of these prices are pre-tax. 
  • Rides are capped at 30 minutes for non-members and 45-minutes for members, so no dilly-dallying at the grocery store or the bar or wherever you've taken the thing. They're designed to be the bicycle world's equivalent of a livery cab. And no one likes a cab hog. 
  • Also, you're really going to want to obey that time limit. Overtime fees start at $2.50 for members and climb as high as $13 per half hour for non-members who just let it roll. If you get to your destination and the nearest stable is full, you can request an added 15 minutes to find another one. That's free. 
  • You don't have to wear a helmet, but you really should. There's no law that says you need one — yet. City Comptroller John Liu has already expressed a great deal of concern about the program's safety issues.
  • If you get in an accident, or you are bike-jacked, you've got some phone calls to make. Call 911 first, obviously, then reach out to the Citibike people at 1-855-BIKE-311(245-3311). You've gotta call that number within 24 hours to fill out a form. It's important. If you don't, Citi is going to charge you a cool $1,000 plus some fees. 


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