Citi Bike's Entire History, Animated

bikemap.nyc caught my eye this week. It visualizes Citi Bike ride data over time, and the result is kind of mesmerizing.

Let it run for a bit and you'll start seeing patterns...

Some areas form dense clusters, while others stay sparse, depending on the time of day.

The animation plays back the entire Citi Bike trip history at high speed. Every moving arrow represents a real ride, drawn between its start and end stations. The routes between points are estimated for the animation, so the focus is on overall movement patterns rather than individual paths.

I love how restrained it is!! The map's minimal, the arrows pop against the dark background, and there's nothing competing for your attention. You just end up watching the city move...