Art Project Makes Citi Bikes Harder to Pedal in NYC's Most Rent-Burdened Areas

An art project called Ground Truth is using modified Citi Bikes to physically simulate New York City's rent crisis for riders. The bikes are programmed to become harder to pedal when passing through neighborhoods where residents are most burdened by high rents. The project aims to give people a tangible, bodily experience of income inequality rather than presenting it as abstract data. By creating physical resistance in affected areas, the installation seeks to make the financial struggles of rent-burdened communities feel immediate and real to cyclists.