Last week in DC checked out a bike from Capital Bike Share. Started in 2010, it had been the largest bike share program in the nation until NY City’s started up. It does retain the distinction of the largest owned, funded and operated wholly by a local government, though.
What a great program it is. There are 134 solar-powered stations throughout the city and surrounding localities in Maryland and Virginia with some 1800 bikes available. These stations provide touch screen daily accessibility or one can join under a number of other arrangements: 3-day, 30-day, or annual. One need only be 16 or older and have a credit card.
One can rent a bike for any length trip, one-way or return. If one way, the cyclist simply locks the bike into any of the other stations around the greater metro area. One can download various maps of the surrounding “Bike Friendly Communities”.
On any given weekend most of the bike stations that I saw were empty – every bike in use. Weekday mornings were typified with intersections filled with bike commuters heading in all directions, many on BikeShare bikes.
There are 56 miles of bike lanes in DC with more under construction, including their first protected bike lane (cycle track), initially designed as such. Many believe these are the real future of cycling, enticing the 60+% of the population that would like to regularly cycle but either do not feel safe or lack of find it too inconvenient. As with most good bike plans there is a focus on connecting various forms of existing infrastructure, including the many parks and trails in the region.
DC efforts have resulted in a more than doubling of the number of bike commuters from 2004 – 2010. It is now one of the top ten biking communities in the US.
This is the first time I had seen two-way bike paths. Observed them for quite some time and traffic seemed to flow safely, with special accommodations made via painted bike boxes at intersections. The photo to the left shows bike lanes that have been created between the parking lane and the curb.
Ann Pierce