New Valet Location Opening at 2nd Busiest Citi Bike Station at West & Chambers Streets
The Battery Park City Authority (BPCA) and Motivate, operators of the Citi Bike program, today announced that Citi Bike Valet Service will be launching as a pilot program at the West and Chambers Street docking station in Battery Park City. Citi Bike Valet Service provides for stress-free docking at more than a dozen busy bike share stations across Manhattan by assigning Citi Bike employees during designated hours to ensure docks are free for arriving cyclists. Extra bikes are also available for users to start their trips from the location. The pilot will officially begin on Monday, August 29.
“We’re thrilled to launch Citi Bike Valet Service for the thousands of monthly users of the program in Battery Park City,” said BPCA President and Chief Operating Officer Shari C. Hyman. “I thank our partners at Motivate and the BPCA staff who worked to implement this service, and look forward to continuing our efforts with a range of stakeholders to make Battery Park City a safe and enjoyable place to ride for all.”
“This location, right along the greenway and next to a neighborhood with such vibrant residential, commercial, and retail means the West and Chambers Citi Bike station sees high traffic throughout the day,” said Jules Flynn, General Manager of Citi Bike, operated by Motivate. “We’re delighted to bring Citi Bike valet service to this bustling area.”
As part of the pilot program, Citi Bike employees will be stationed at the West and Chambers Street docking station on weekdays from 7:30am to 7:30pm. The program is scheduled to run through October 7, and if successful, will be extended to the end of the season on November 4. The docking station at West and Chambers Streets in Battery Park City is one of City Bike’s most heavily used and a prime location for this pilot testing. In July alone, riders made more than 27,000 combined trips to or from the station, making it the second-busiest in the system after Pershing Square near Grand Central Terminal.
“Valet service could be a great idea to help Citi Bike commuters avoid the headache of full docks when they need to park,” said Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer. “Bike-sharing has added a great new transit option for many New Yorkers, but it needs flexible, proactive management to keep it efficient and stress-free. Motivate and the Battery Park City Authority have my thanks for working together to pioneer what I’m hoping will be a successful pilot program.”
“I am very pleased that Citi Bike Valet Services will be available for cyclists in Battery Park City,” said Council Member Margaret S. Chin. “With the introduction of this program, residents and visitors can ride Citi Bike with confidence that they will be able to return their bikes at this very busy location at Chambers and West streets. I thank Motivate and BPCA staff for making this service more widely available for people in my Council District.”
“This bike valet service shows that commuting by bike is more popular than ever in New York City – and now it can be easier, too,” said Caroline Samponaro, Deputy Director of Transportation Alternatives. “The West Side Greenway is a great place to ride, and we look forward to more people in Battery Park City and beyond giving Citi Bike a try.”
“CB1 is pleased to see this improvement to the very popular Citi Bike program,” said Anthony Notaro, Chairperson, Manhattan Community Board 1. “Hopefully, this service will make usage simpler and more available to all.”
“I’m pleased about Citi Bike Valet Service coming to this extremely busy area,” said Jeff Mihok, Co-Chair, CB1 Battery Park City Committee. “I am hopeful that the program goes well and that it’s expanded as needed.”
Overall, Battery Park City is home to five City Bike stations. The other four are located at Little West Street and 1st Place, West Thames Street off South End Avenue, South End Avenue and Liberty Street, and Vesey Place and River Terrace – the final two locations also being among the top 20 in system-wide usage.
Valet Service at the West and Chamber Streets docking station joins more than a dozen sites in Manhattan at which Valet Service has been implemented. A full listing of Valet Service sites can be found here. Locations of all Citi Bike stations can be found on the Citi Bike Station Map.
About BPCA: The Hugh L. Carey Battery Park City Authority is a New York State public benefit corporation with a mission to plan, create, coordinate, and maintain a balanced community of commercial, residential, retail, and park space within its designated 92-acre site on the lower west side of Manhattan. For more info visit bpca.ny.gov.
About Citi Bike: The Citi Bike program is New York’s bike share system. It will have 10,000 bikes at over 600 stations by the end of 2016. Stations are located in Manhattan below 86th Street and in the Brooklyn neighborhoods of Downtown Brooklyn, DUMBO, Brooklyn Heights, Fort Greene, Clinton Hill. Bedford-Stuyvesant, Williamsburg, and Greenpoint and in Long Island City, Queens, with stations located every few blocks, and the program is expanding this year – into Harlem, Park Slope, Boerum Hill, Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens, Gowanus, and Red Hook. Annual members receive an electronic key to undock a bike from any station, allowing unlimited trips up to 45 minutes without incurring any additional costs. Twenty-four-hour passes are available for purchase at any Citi Bike station or through the Citi Bike app and provide unlimited 30-minute trips. Reduced cost memberships are available for NYCHA residents and members of select credit unions throughout the city, and for IDNYC holders in their first year of membership. For more info visit: www.citibikenyc.com/expansion.
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