The New York City Citi Bike program is set to offer public housing residents a special discounted membership.
The bike-sharing program offers a yearly membership for approximately $170 per year to riders that provides access to bikes around Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and Jersey City.
The program is now reducing its fees to just $5 per month for those who are on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The program is made possible by HealthFirst, a nonprofit health insurance plan in the city.
“And that's unlimited riding,” said George Hurst of HealthFirst. “So you can get on a Citi Bike and ride to work, you can get on a Citi Bike and ride home. There is huge financial savings in addition to the health benefits.”
Organizers say the Citi Bike deal will become accessible to more than 1.6 million New Yorkers who rely on SNAP to help feed their families every day.
The city says SNAP recipients can visit the Citi Bike website and enter their EBT card number or NYCHA tenant ID to gain access to the deal.