Onward and Upbound!

Get to know our community partner Urban Upbound.

Citi Bike partners with a variety of organizations to help us engage with different NYC residents and neighborhoods. Our partners include community based organizations, schools, and city agencies alike. One of these community partners is Urban Upbound, a Job Plus site with locations in East Harlem, Astoria, Long Island City, and the Rockaways.

Urban Upbound works exclusively with local New York City Housing Authority residents to break cycles of poverty by providing residents of public housing with the tools and resources needed to achieve economic mobility and self-sufficiency.

Say hello to the East Harlem Urban Upbound Jobs Plus team!

We partner with Urban Upbound in order to connect the NYCHA residents to our Reduced Fare Bike Share program, presented by Healthfirst. As part of Reduced Fare Bike Share, NYCHA residents can ride Citi Bike for just $5/month. The financial counselors at Urban Upbound are leveraging this program as part of their curriculum, talking to residents about the financial, health, and recreational benefits of bike share.


Citi Bike Street Team member Shanell joining Urban Upbound for one of their summer rides to Randall's Island.

To get folks excited about biking in East Harlem, Urban Upbound led free community rides around their neighborhood, open to all the residents they support. Their staff were always involved in these rides, assisting those who may not be used to biking in NYC. Rides included afternoon lunch rides, rides around Randall’s Island, and themed bike tours of Harlem. One ride even featured locations within Harlem where the popular Netflix show, “Luke Cage” was filmed!


Kevin Garcia (right) is Urban Upbound’s Community Engagement Coordinator and a certified group ride leader. He is seen here instructing the rest of his team on bicycle safety so that they may be able to further help the residents that join these rides!

The Urban Upbound team has incorporated bike share into their regular programming and financial advising sessions with the residents. Now, these residents in East Harlem are leveraging bike share in creative ways that go beyond the bike!

In this season of thanks, we thank them for being such a committed and inspiring partner!


Doesn’t matter rain or shine, Urban Upbound rides!

Urban Upbound continues to connect East Harlem residents to Citi Bike and help break down barriers to bike share. Many of their staff are Citi Bike members, Bike Angels, and ride leaders themselves. They speak on their own bike share experiences and how bike share is an affordable transportation alternative as well as a fun way to stay healthy. Residents who have not ridden in decades now join Urban Upbound staff for their regular rides. Next time you’re in El Barrio, look out for the Urban Upbound riders!

NYCHA residents and SNAP recipients all across the city can sign up for the Reduced Fare Bike Share discount! Head here for more information.