More Citi Bikes Coming To Williamsburg Before L Train Shutdown

WILLIAMSBURG, BROOKLYN — Citi Bike will bring more than a thousand new bikes to neighborhoods most likely to want them during the L train shutdown, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced.

Citi Bike will install 2,500 docking points and add 1,250 bikes in Williamsburg and high-use areas in Manhattan before the 15-month closure of the Canarsie Tunnel that begins in April 2019, the Mayor said.

"Riders can expect to see more bikes, docks, and pedal-assist bikes, and temporary valet stations," said the Mayor at a press conference near the Williamsburg Bridge Wednesday morning, "that will together help meet demand during the L train shut down next year."

Motivate, the company that runs New York City’s 12,000-bike share program, will also temporarily add valet services — sending staffers to corral bikes at high-use stations — to 10 docking posts in Brooklyn and Manhattan along the L train corridor.

They will also create a temporary “shuttle” service across the Williamsburg Bridge by adding two docks on both sides of the bridge designed to accommodate a new fleet of pedal-assist electric bikes.

In Manhattan, riders can also expect more docks between Canal and 59th streets and Transit officials will begin working with local community boards — Brooklyn Community Board 1 and community boards 2 through 6 in Manhattan — to determine where the new docks should be placed, according to Department of Transportation commissioner Polly Trottenberg.

“New Yorkers can expect that a bike will be available and even more conveniently located near wherever they are,” said Trottenberg.

“New valet stations and pedal-assist bikes will make Citi Bike an indispensable part of the solutions we are pursuing to meeting the challenges of the L train disruption.”

Photo by Kathleen Culliton