Lyft boosted its Citi Bike prices Monday — just as they’re set to make a killing off of congestion pricing they lobbied for.
The bike rental service made the decision to raise rates again, less than six months after its parent company, Lyft, slammed riders with a 20% increase.
The latest pinch comes a day after the MTA and Gov. Kathy Hochul rolled out congestion pricing in Manhattan — costing Big Apple commuters $9 to drive below 60th Street.
Follow along with The Post's coverage of Manhattan's new congestion pricing
- New York became the most expensive city to drive in when its congestion pricing began Sunday. New Yorkers now must pay $9 to drive below 60th Street during peak hours.
- Some drivers have begun concealing their plates in an effort to avoid the toll. Some residents of the area are saddled with the cost whenever they want to take their car out.
- Businesses, like funeral homes, have begun shifting the cost to customers. Rideshare app Lyft raised its CitiBike prices for New Yorkers hoping to avoid taking a car. The FDNY union and EMT union claim that congestion pricing will slow down their response times, as well.
- Many New Yorkers are skeptical about congestion pricing’s effects, especially after multiple publicized crimes on the subway in recent weeks. Drivers are expected to dump their cars above the zone, making parking more difficult uptown.
Lyft and Uber reportedly pushed hard for the toll and stand to be big winners — pouring millions into lobbying city and state officials to approve the controversial plan.
Citi Bike increased its electric bikes from 24 to 25 cents per minute for members Monday, and the cap for e-bike rides that run 45 minutes or less and enter or exit Manhattan rose to $5 (all other e-bike rides are now 25 cents per minute and uncapped, the company said).
Citi Bike raised the price of its electric bike rentals on Monday, less than six months after the Lyft-owned service hiked its prices by 20%. Helayne SeidmanSingle-ride passes for non-members increased from $4.79 to $4.99 and their e-bike fees rose from 36 to 38 cents per minute.
Day passes for non-members will also increase to $25 starting Feb. 3.
Citi Bike’s parent company Lyft and Uber reportedly championed the effort, pouring millions of dollars into promoting congestion pricing. Michael NagleMonday’s price jump marks the fourth year in a row Citi Bike has increased its rates.
The company cited inflation and e-bike-related costs as reasons for the Citi Bike hike, Gothamist reported. It was the same rationale the company used in response to pushing July’s price jump.
Lyft also announced a “congestion pricing credit” of $1.50 for each ride Citi Bike or rideshare that impacted Manhattan commuters use for the rest of the month – which will offset the $1.50 congestion pricing surcharge the measure is levying on ride-sharing apps like Lyft.
The Citi Bike service — which provides over 30,000 bikes across the boroughs and New Jersey — is also slated to expand its fleet to new parts of Queens, The Bronx and Brooklyn next fall.
Citi Bike recorded more than 45 million rides in 2024, the outlet reported based on data shared by Lyft. That was up 25% from 36 million rides in 2023.
But some riders were already fed up with the price hikes over the summer, telling The Post they were considering buying their own bicycles instead.
Some riders told The Post over the summer they would consider ditching the service and buying their own bicycles. Helayne Seidman
The price for electric bikes for members will increase from 24 to 25 cents per minute, Citi Bike said in a statement. AFP/Getty Images“I just don’t really like taking the train so I use Citi Bikes, but at this point it just seems more affordable to get your own bike,” said Travontae Gorman at a Manhattan charging bank location.
“It’s going to equal out to two or three of these rides with the continued increase,” he added.
A request for comment from Lyft was not immediately returned Monday.
The news also comes weeks after the MTA board voted on a budget poised to raise the cost of subway and bus fares from $2.90 to roughly $3.







