Citi Bike Debuts New Flagship Facility In Gowanus

Pamela Wong -
A Citi Bike station on 5th Avenue and 3rd Street outside of J.J. Byrne Playground and the Old Stone House. (Photo: BKLYNER)

Gowanus – Elected officials, transportation advocates, and local union members joined Citi Bike Tuesday morning (August 15) for a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the opening of the bike share program’s new flagship operations facility in Gowanus.

The new 16,000-square-foot facility, located at 77 14th Street (between 2nd & 3rd Avenues), will accommodate approximately 174 Citi Bike employees, mostly members of the Transit Workers Union Local 100.

Maintenance and repairs will be made to the program’s fleet of more than 10,000 bikes at the new facility, ensuring they are safe for users. Citi Bike’s bicycle mechanics will work at the Gowanus flagship while field bike mechanics and station technicians, who service the company’s 600 stations, will routinely check in at the facility before heading out for their daily rounds.

Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams was on-hand at Tuesday’s event, posting a photo of himself on social media touring the space, noting, “We must ensure #bikeshare continues to expand throughout New York City in a thoughtful, organized manner. Let’s grow our #BikeNYC community in #Brooklyn. Park your car and ride.”

I’m excited to tour @CitiBike’s new repair shop in #Gowanus, staffed by @TWULocal100 workers. We must ensure #bikeshare continues to expand throughout New York City in a thoughtful, organized manner. Let’s grow our #BikeNYC community in #Brooklyn. Park your car and ride.

A post shared by Eric L. Adams (@bpericadams) on

Council Member Brad Lander said, “I’m excited to welcome Citi Bike to its new home in Gowanus, where it will continue to employ New Yorkers and keep 10,000 bikes (and growing) up to speed,” Brooklyn Daily Eagle reports. “It’s a win for our community.”

“Citi Bike is a valuable piece of public infrastructure that gives people a useful and convenient new transit option. It’s healthy, environmentally friendly and a safe transportation option that also provides great jobs to New Yorkers,” Lander added.

Citi Bike launched in 2013 with 6,000 bikes. By the end of 2017, Citi Bike will increase that number to 12,000. The program currently has stations located in 55 neighborhoods across the city including Bed-Stuy, Boerum Hill, Brooklyn Heights, Carroll Gardens, Clinton Hill, Cobble Hill, Downtown, DUMBO, Fort Greene, Gowanus, Greenpoint, Park Slope, Red Hook, and Williamsburg.