Via the NY Times
https://toddwschneider.com/posts/a-ta...-share-system/

As a nerd, I think that's really cool.

As a cool person, I think that's rather nerdy

As a cool nerd, I didn't read it.

Could anyone find in all that nerdish verbiage any information about how the CitiBike users made these trips before the advent of CitiBike? In other words what modes of transportation were used previously by the CitiBikers. I doubt if many people were previously making these short trips in NYC by their own privately owned car, given the expense and/or availability of convenient parking. More than likely CitiBike has replaced the use of some percentage of public transit/Taxis/walking/privately owned bicycles.

That would require a survey which is beyond the scope of the article, but it's a good idea.

My guess as a New Yorker would be that most of them were taking the subway or bus (80% or more), some were riding their own bikes (10 or 15%?), and a very few were driving (-5%?). Just educated guesses, of course, based on what I have seen since Citibike started.

I am just guessing but believe you are in the ballpark except that I suspect few if any New Yorkers or visitor now using CitiBikes were previously moving their own legally parked car to take such a short trip within Manhattan or to/from the neighboring Boroughs and having to find another parking spot at both ends of the short trips.