Two men were arrested Wednesday after admitting to stealing Citi Bikes from a Lower East Side docking station, police said.
Two plainclothes officers were investigating unrelated reports that someone was using stolen credit cards to rent bicycles at the docking station near Stanton and Chrystie streets, and asked the suspects on the bikes to show receipts for their bike shares, according to police.
Neither of the men had receipts. Citi Bike told the police officers their records showed the bicycles were docked and there was no record they were being rented.
The suspects, who are 22 and 34 years old, admitted to police they took the bicycles from the docking station. Police believe the men were able to take the bikes by yanking them from the docks.
Officials said Wednesday the city's new bike-sharing program has seen a surge in use just 10 days into existence — with more than 100,000 rides logged so far.
Department of Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan said more than 30,000 riders have signed up as annual members. She said the program has had more than 6,000 daily and weekly users, too.
An annual membership for Citi Bike, named after a $41 million sponsorship from Citibank, costs $95 and a day pass costs $9.95.
The program launched May 27 for annual members and June 2 for everyone else. It's made up of 6,000 bikes at 330 stations in Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn, though eventually officials hope to expand to 10,000 bikes and 600 docking stations in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens.
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