No wonder they’re losing money.
Citi Bike planners put racks in desolate corners of Brooklyn — including one in the Navy Yard that is not even accessible to the general public, according to new data released by the program.
The five least-used stations in the 329-rack system are all in Kings County, NYC Bike Share revealed. “As has been the pattern, the least-frequented destination stations are in Brooklyn, particularly the stations in and around the Brooklyn Navy Yard,” the report said.
The program, run by the parent group, Alta Bicycle Share, needs tens of millions of dollars to survive after a debut year riddled with lawsuits, glitches and complaints about bike distribution.
Mayor Bill de Blasio said last week the company will not get any public funding to stay afloat, making new ridership even more important.
But it won’t attract any customers with the Navy Yard rack — on Railroad Avenue and Kay Avenue — since it requires an employee ID to access.
Only 29 trips were made from that station, and just 31 trips were made to it in January.
“If people aren’t riding them, move them to a place where people will,” fumed freelancer Peter Rugh, 29. “They should be in a place for everyone.”
But even racks that were put at the busy intersection of Bedford Avenue and South Ninth Street in Williamsburg are barely touched.
There were only 58 rides from and 59 to the station in January.
“The community isn’t using these bikes,” said Joseph Mendelovitz, 32. “Women cannot and men have cars or they walk, but they don’t want to ride these bikes.”
Another seldom-used rack sits on a remote stretch below the elevated Brooklyn-Queens Expressway in Fort Greene, at Carlton and Park avenues. It had 65 trips from the station and 64 to it.
“No one wants to pull out their credit card under the BQE and rent a bike,” said Eli Pagan, 44, an artist who lives across the street. “I can see why it’s losing money — you have three Citi Bike stations within a couple of blocks and no one wants them to be here.”
Meanwhile, there are no racks in bike-friendly neighborhoods like Park Slope, Carroll Gardens, Red Hook and Prospect Heights.
There isn’t even a station around Prospect Park.
“I don’t understand why they’re not around here,” said Natalie Groves, 37, who lives near the park. “This is a very family-oriented neighborhood, and people in the park would use them.”
The Brooklyn numbers paled in comparison to ridership in Manhattan. One rack near Grand Central had 3,979 trips inbound and 3,725 rides out in January.
Thousands of riders also used the stations on Lafayette Street and East Eighth Street, East 17th Street and Broadway, and 21st Street and Sixth Avenue.
Trips in January:
Least-used racks (all in Brooklyn):
Railroad and Kay avenues — 31 in, 29 out
Bedford Avenue and South Ninth Street — 59 in, 58 out
Carlton and Park avenues — 64 in, 65 out
Hanover Place and Livingston Street — 74 in, 72 out
Most popular racks (all in Manhattan)
Pershing Square North (Grand Central) — 3,725 in, 3,979 out
Lafayette Street and East Eighth Street — 3,520 in, 3,644 out
West 21st Street and Sixth Avenue — 3,161 in, 3,164 out
Eighth Avenue and West 31st Street (Penn Station) — 3, 536 in, 3,445 out