Citi Bike is expanding to meet growing demand

NEW YORK (FOX 5 NEWS) - Just over four years ago the now-familiar blue bikes didn't exist in New York City. Now more than 600 Citi Bike docks can be found in Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn and Queens.

And its popularity is only growing, according to Dani Simons, the director of communications for Motivate, the company that runs Citi Bike.

"Last year we served over 14 million trips, which was a 40-percent increase from the year before," Simons said. "And we think that there's a real opportunity for Citi Bike to continue to serve more of New York."

Right now, New York has 10,000 Citi Bikes. The company plans to expand to 12,000 by the end of the year. But the question a lot of cyclists have is when will we see Citi Bikes in the Bronx and Staten Island?

"We're in conversations with the city right now about how to expand the program to a five-borough program," Simons said.

The bike-share program currently pays the city up to $1 million a year in lost parking meter revenue as part of the contract. Simons said if Citi Bike didn't have that obligation in the outer boroughs, it could help them to expand.

"It's something I think the city is interested in, that we're interested in and we're trying to figure out ways to get there and do that," Simons said.

A Department of Transportation spokesperson confirmed the city is in discussions with Motivate to find ways to improve and expand the system. New Citi Bike docking stations are coming soon to Harlem, Astoria in Queens and parts of Brooklyn. After that, there could be further talks of potential expansion.