SmartBike DC Tries to Catch a Green Wave
It's two-wheeled transportation that can be shared
Call it Zipcar for the pedaling crowd. This summer, Washington, D.C., will roll out a bicycle-sharing program in which members can rent a two-wheeler from spots around the city with the swipe of a card.
Organizers say the automated program is the first of its kind in the United States. Like bicycle-sharing programs that have proliferated in Europe over the past decade, SmartBike DC is set up as a public-private venture between the city and an advertiser. In this case, it's Clear Channel Outdoor—a division of the radio giant—which provides the bikes in exchange for ad space on bus shelters. The Phoenix-based company, which already runs bike-share programs in 13 European cities, also inked a contract with San Francisco for a bike share (officials are still working out the details). Meanwhile, Chicago, Albuquerque, N.M., and Portland, Ore., are all considering proposals from advertisers.
Jim Sebastian, Washington's transportation planner, sees bike sharing as a step toward alleviating stress on the city's transportation systems. "We're trying to become a more bicycle-friendly and walkable city, but we also like the idea of reducing congestion and emissions," he says.
Security. In D.C., members will pay an annual fee of $40 for access to 100 red cruisers, which will be stored at 10 centrally located kiosks around town. Users swipe their cards to electronically unlock a bicycle, which must be returned within three hours. Those who don't return bikes promptly will be issued warnings that could lead to a freeze in membership privileges. The penalty is $200 for lost or stolen bikes.
With its electronic payment, locking, and tracking systems, the SmartBike program is eons more advanced than its grass-roots U.S. predecessors, which include Austin's Yellow Bike Project. Such community-driven programs, which allow people to freely borrow donated bikes and return them at will, have been plagued by theft and vandalism.
Reader Comments
Freewheelin' in Denver
Even though I rode my own bike to the convention, I couldn't help but to try out the new bike leasing program. It was incredibly easy to do and was a lot of fun too. I welcome when multiple kiosks will be established to enable more feasible transportation. It would be great if all the inner city workers adopted this program.
New Belgium Brewing has launched an interactive online blog for its 15,000 Team Wonderbike members, who pledge to bike instead of drive as often as possible - assuming, of course, they don't do either after tossing back a couple of Fat Tires. The brewery released its list of top 10 Marvelous Reasons Why Our Employees Love to Ride. See more reasons at teamwonderbike.com/blog.
Bike DC 2008 is coming soon
It's so great to see DC launch SmartBike Sharing Program and I am sure that will boost citizens and visitors to know more and appreciate more the beauty of DC.
One great news to share here. Bike DC event is coming back this year, and will be held on September 27, 2008.
Bike DC is a noncompetitive, community bike ride through 17 car-free miles of Washington, DC. The route is designed to be enjoyed by experienced riders, novices and families. So that participants may fully appreciate the adventure of cycling on car free city streets, Bike DC is a ride, not a race.
Bike DC will begin on "America's Main Street" : Pennsylvania Avenue. With the U. S. Capitol as the backdrop, we will bike up Pennsylvania Avenue past the White House to Embassy Row. On Massachusetts Avenue the ride goes by 40 embassies—from Azerbaijan to Zambia.
The first rest stop on the route will be at Twin Oaks, adjacent to the National Cathedral. The government of the Republic of China (Taiwan) has graciously allowed us to visit the 18-acre grounds of the Twin Oaks Estate. The Georgian Revival mansion was build by Gardiner Greene Hubbard, founder of the National Geographic Society, and once was home to Alexander Graham Bell. Later, this nationally registered historic site served as the official residence of ROC (Taiwan) ambassadors to the United States. It remains a symbol of friendly relations between Taiwan and the U.S. to this day.
For registration and more details, please check out http://www.bikedc.net/
three hours may be enough...
...if there are many stations around common areas. people can pick up a bike near their home, ride to work, store the bike at the station near their office, then return the same way. not many people will have a three hour bike commute each way to work.
i don't know why they are taking a SMALL view of this program. Paris started with 20,600 bikes at 1,450 stations http://tinyurl.com/2fa9ze . People need to be able to use the bikes in a practical way, not see some half hearted gimmick.
I hope it quickly expands and succeeds.
Add your thoughts
Your comment will be posted immediately, unless it is spam or contains profanity. For more information, please see our Comments FAQ.advertisement
