New Yorkers will be able to put the pedal to the polls this Election Day thanks to a Citi Bike promotion that will be available on Tuesday, Nov. 6.
For the first time, the popular five-year-old bikeshare will offer a free Day Pass on Election Day, Citi Bike officials and NYC Department of Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg announced Monday.
To unlock the free Day Pass, which usually costs $12 for a full day of bike access, New Yorkers need only to input the code BIKETOVOTE in the Citi Bike app. They will receive free unlimited 30-minute trips for 24 hours.
“Democracies thrive when voting is easy and convenient, two words we always use to describe Citi Bike,” Trottenberg said in a statement. “We encourage cycling in New York City year-round, but with this extra incentive to get to your polling place to make your voice heard next week, New Yorkers will have no excuse.”
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Citi Bike to the polls
A recent study from The Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement found that 29 percent of American youth surveyed said transporation was a factor in why they did not vote in the 2016 presidential election. Fifteen percent noted that lack of transportation to their polling place was a “major factor.’
Added Julie Wood, spokesperson for Citi Bike operator Motivate, “Too many Americans don’t vote because they lack reliable and affordable transportation options. As voters make their plans for Nov. 6, we encourage the millions living in New York and all of the cities served by our bikeshare networks to take advantage of free rides and use bikeshare to get to and from the polls.”
The Election Day promo will be available to Citi Bike users at the more than 750 docking stations across New York City as well as in Jersey City. Motivate is also offering the free pass to its bikesharaes network across the country.
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