New York City is still digging out from its record breaking blizzard, and the icy aftermath is sidelining one of the city’s most used transit options. Two weeks later, nearly 1,600 Citi Bike docks remain snowed in, making thousands of bikes effectively unreachable for riders trying to get around a city already dealing with ferry suspensions and ongoing subway disruptions.
On February 5, Citi Bike announced that crews had manually cleared more than 600 stations–but with roughly 2,200 docks across the system, that leaves a massive portion still buried under packed snow and frozen slush.
Under normal conditions, Citi Bike sees 100,000 to 120,000+ rides per day, according to recent system figures. While ridership has likely dropped during the deep freeze, the demand hasn’t disappeared–especially with other transit options facing reliability issues.
Citi Bike explained that stations were repeatedly plowed over after being cleared, with snow hardening into solid ice. For worker safety, crews paused operations during the worst conditions. The company said it planned to ramp up efforts to clear 300+ stations per day, expecting most locations to be accessible by February 9–a timeline that seems to have slipped.
The buildup has also blocked battery-swapping teams from servicing ebikes, meaning riders could see reduced electric bike availability even after docks reopen. And as any New Yorker knows, an ebike with 5% battery is practically unusable.
Still, some determined riders aren’t waiting, and some have actually stomped out their own paths to the docks in order to reach a bike–these riders haven’t gone unnoticed.
A Reddit user shared a message from Lyft praising their “resilience” and promising a surprise swag package for braving the conditions. The contents are a mystery, but naturally we’re hoping it includes a shovel…
Meanwhile, Streetsblog reports that the Citi Bike app has added to riders’ frustration by showing bikes and open docks that are technically available but physically inaccessible under piles of snow. A loss for riders, who have to then extend their trip to find a different station, a win for Lyft, who prices by the minute.
And let’s not forget, Citi Bike fares increased this past January for the fifth year in a row.
Under existing contracts, Lyft–not NYC DOT–is responsible for clearing snow from Citi Bike infrastructure. The company hasn’t issued a new update since its early February announcement, leaving riders in limbo as the system slowly thaws.
With temperatures finally expected to climb this week, the city may get some help from Mother Nature. Until then, Citi Bike commuters are stuck playing a winter obstacle course just to unlock a ride.