JERSEY CITY — Citi Bike Jersey City will offer $5 monthly memberships to any city resident who receives food stamps, part of an effort to boost ridership among the city’s low-income residents.

The $5 monthly cost is the same discount given to residents of Jersey City’s public housing buildings. Normally annual memberships are $169, or about $14 a month.

When Citi Bike launched in Jersey City in 2015, stations opened citywide but the most popular routes are in the city’s most affluent neighborhoods. In April Citi Bike moved almost all stations out of the south side, where many of the city’s most economically disadvantaged residents live.

“Expanding our discounted membership program reinforces our long-standing commitment to making Citi Bike equitable and accessible for Jersey City residents,” said Kris Sandor, Citi Bike’s general manager said in a statement.

About 16 percent of Jersey City households receive supplemental nutrition assistance.

Anyone interested should visit citibikenyc.com/jcsnap. Your EBT card will be used to verify eligibility.

Earlier this year Lyft announced it would acquire Motivate, Citi Bike’s parent company. Last month New York City officials announced Lyft would invest $100 million in the bike-share system and double its area of coverage.

It’s not clear yet if Jersey City will see an expansion. The city has 50 bike-share stations, more than half located Downtown.

A Lyft spokesman told The Jersey Journal the company will establish the geographic boundaries of the expansion in upcoming months.

Citi Bike says riders completed nearly 350,000 Citi Bike trips in Jersey City so far in 2018, a 25 percent increase from last year.

Terrence T. McDonald may be reached at tmcdonald@jjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @terrencemcd. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.