New York City is rolling out additional charging capabilities at existing Citi Bike stations to accommodate the growing popularity of electric bicycles in the bike-share program, officials announced yesterday.
The expansion will add charging technology to 13 existing dock locations – ten in Manhattan and three in Brooklyn – allowing e-bikes to charge directly at stations rather than requiring manual battery swaps. This infrastructure improvement follows last year’s pilot program that installed the first two charging docks in Midtown Manhattan and Williamsburg.
“Expanding our network of charging stations means riders will have better access to fully charged bikes, with fewer delays and faster service,” said Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez in a statement. “The demand for Citi Bike e-bikes has never been higher, and we are proud to deliver new infrastructure that meets the needs of riders.”
Currently, most of Citi Bike’s 15,000 electric bicycles require technicians to manually swap batteries after charging them at a warehouse. These technicians travel throughout the five boroughs in vans to service the bikes. The new dock-based charging system will reduce the need for these trips while allowing bikes to charge on demand, minimizing downtime.
The Brooklyn locations slated for electrification include docks in Williamsburg at Graham Avenue and Grand Street, Metropolitan and Bedford Avenues, and in Brooklyn Heights at Clinton and Tillary Streets. Manhattan installations will span from Upper Manhattan to Lower Manhattan, including locations at Amsterdam Avenue and West 116th Street, York Avenue and East 72nd Street, and eight other high-traffic areas.
According to Department of Transportation data, electric Citi Bike usage has increased approximately 20% from last year, with nearly 7.9 million e-bike rides recorded between January and April 2025, compared to 6.5 million during the same period in 2024. Though e-bikes constitute only 43% of the Citi Bike fleet, they account for 70% of all rides citywide, demonstrating their overwhelming popularity with users.
Lyft spokesperson Caroline Samponaro emphasized that “this investment will directly benefit riders by increasing availability of the Citi Bike e-bike that New Yorkers know and love” as ridership continues to break records across the city.
