Senator Gianaris Gets Astoria Included in Future Bike Share Plans

Urges DOT to Bring Citibike to Queens Quickly

(Astoria, NY) Senator Gianaris is pleased to announce that the Department of Transportation has agreed to include Astoria in future plans for Citibike, the city’s new bike-sharing program. Since Citibike’s debut, Senator Gianaris has worked with DOT to ensure that Astoria and other western Queens neighborhoods will be included in the program. Senator Gianaris, a lifelong Astoria resident who regularly bikes around the neighborhood, is pleased that Citibike is on the horizon for Astoria.

“Citibike will be a great addition to Astoria, which has a growing cycling community and is already one of the most bike-friendly neighborhoods in the city,” said Senator Gianaris. “Bike share will allow people to enjoy the neighborhood in a fun and healthy way and will help people more easily travel around western Queens, an area in dire need of better mass transit. I look forward to the day when all of western Queens will enjoy the benefits of Citibike.”

Citibike is already slated to expand into Long Island City and Greenpoint, after which DOT plans additional rounds of expansion. Astoria has now been added to the list of neighborhoods DOT is planning to reach in those future Citibike expansions, joining Sunnyside, Park Slope and Manhattan’s Upper East and West Sides on that list. The planning for Astoria, which will include evaluations of the best specific locations for Citibike stations, will begin later this year.

Senator Gianaris formally requested that Astoria be included in these plans for future Citibike expansion in a letter to the Mayor and DOT several weeks ago and is committed to working with DOT to successfully bring Citibike to Astoria and make these exciting plans a reality as soon as possible.

Senator Gianaris also took the opportunity to urge DOT to complete the planned Long Island City expansion as soon as possible. Long Island City was originally included in Citibike’s first phase but equipment damages sustained during Hurricane Sandy caused a delay, so for now the borough of Queens remains without bike share. Senator Gianaris hopes that Citibike will be in Long Island City before the weather turns cold so that Queens residents can enjoy the program other parts of the city have put to great use this summer.

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