City Bikes Struggle After Winter Storm
Ridership for the city’s bike-share service has dropped significantly following the heavy snowfall from winter storm Fern, which left New York City buried under a foot of snow. Most bike stations remain non-operational even over a week later.
Emily Oberlin, a daily cyclist commuting from Grand Central Terminal to her job in Hell’s Kitchen, expressed her frustration, stating, “most of the snow is not plowed.” She said she had a hard time finding a spot to park her e-bike, having to sift through multiple dock stations that were buried under trash and snow.
As of Tuesday, officials reported that only about 500 of Citi Bike’s 2,925 active stations have been cleared, which is roughly 17%. The snow has also created hazardous conditions at the stations that are open, with icy patches and mounds making it harder for cyclists to use the service.
“There’s too much snow on FiDi’s pier to accommodate bicycles,” one user complained. Another person shared their experience of spending “20 minutes to dock this bike,” posting a picture of their bike stuck in a snowy area.
On Wednesday, a docking station at West 45th Street and Eighth Avenue was nearly completely buried under recyclables, as the Sanitation Department faced delays collecting waste from the snowstorm over ten days ago.
This situation isn’t ideal, especially as Citi Bike recently increased its membership fees for the fifth consecutive year, citing rising costs for operational needs like staffing and insurance. Mayo Martinez, a Citi Bike user, remarked, “It doesn’t make much sense for prices to go up. I can’t get the service [you’re paying for].” Another user added that while prices are increasing, the level of service remains lacking.
Historically, Citi Bike enjoyed record ridership, averaging around 68,391 daily users in January 2025, just shy of the previous month’s average. However, only about 125,000 rides were registered since the snowstorm hit on January 25.
A Lyft spokesperson acknowledged that the blizzard and low temperatures did impact ridership but clarified that service was interrupted for less than a day during the storm. They assured that their team is actively working to remove snow and clear more stations as conditions improve, prioritizing safe access for riders across the city.
