Was this really the right place for a Citi Bike station?
A newly installed fleet of Citi Bikes has remained largely untouched at Queens docking stations for weeks, frustrating residents who say the program is too costly, blocks sidewalks and takes away already limited parking.
Several stations appeared throughout Forest Hills over the past month, but locals say they are frequently packed with bikes while seeing little use.
“There are too many. It’s ridiculous and completely out of control. As you can see, nobody is using them,” said Joe Augello, 70, an insurance broker who has lived in the neighborhood for 30 years.
Augello noted that Forest Hills has many car owners and objected to the placement of at least one Citi Bike station directly outside private residences.
“People can’t walk down the streets because these things are in the way. If someone is using a wheelchair or pushing a stroller, they have to maneuver around these stupid bicycles,” Augello said.
Forest Hills now has 44 Citi Bike stations on both main thoroughfares and residential blocks, following a network expansion announced earlier this week by Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
The expansion increased the Citi Bike network by 11%, adding 234 stations across seven neighborhoods in Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx.
Augello said he began noticing the surge in new docking stations about a month ago.
“What’s especially absurd is putting these stations directly in front of someone’s private home,” he said.
Lyft, which operates Citi Bike, is also planning to install “hundreds of docks” across the existing service area this fall, including in Midtown, Chelsea, Williamsburg, Greenpoint and Gowanus, according to City Hall.
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The network’s growth comes as riders complain that using Citi Bike’s silver electric bicycles has become increasingly expensive.
“A five-minute ride shouldn’t cost $8. That’s terrible,” said David Ruiz, 23, of Corona. He paid $220 for an annual electric membership because he says it is cheaper than paying for individual rides.
Other Queens residents said the bike docks are consuming valuable curb space, a particularly sensitive issue in Forest Hills, where many residents rely on cars.
A spokesperson for the city’s Department of Buildings said officials use a “thoughtful approach” when deciding where stations should be installed.
“Citi Bike is popular because it offers a convenient way to travel, and even in neighborhoods where residents initially have concerns, we see strong ridership once people embrace the service,” the spokesperson said.
The city did not explain in detail why Forest Hills was selected for the expansion.
For now, residents remain unconvinced.
“I think it’s excessive,” said Sergey Davydov, 41. “They use up a lot of parking space, and not many people ride them. Most of the time, they’re just full.”
Arthur Feigenbaum also opposed the expansion, describing the docking stations as “a bad idea.”
“I don’t like them!” the 73-year-old said.
When asked whether he supports Mamdani’s Citi Bike expansion, Feigenbaum quipped: “I don’t agree with most of what he says.”
