Capital bike share

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Half-full rental station with machine and overview map in downtown Washington
Station at George Washington University in 2012

Capital Bikeshare is a station-based bike sharing program in Washington, DC and adjacent communities. It was established in 2010 and has more than 1500 bikes at 165 stations. Capital Bikeshare is operated by Alta Bicycleshare on behalf of the District Department of Transport (DDOT).

history

The first bike-sharing program was started in Washington in 2008. SmartBike DC was the first program of its kind in North America with 10 stations and 120 bikes. SmartBike DC was operated by Clear Channel and technically corresponds to the Bicing program in Barcelona. However, due to low user numbers, SmartBike DC was discontinued at the end of 2010.

At the same time, Arlington County Commuter Services was planning to launch its own program.

On September 20, 2010, Capital Bikeshare was launched with 110 stations and 1100 bicycles.

technology

The technology of the system (including the bicycles) comes from the manufacturer PBSC Urban Solutions and corresponds to the Bixi system in Montreal.

The stations are supplied with energy by built-in solar panels and have a modular structure. This enables different station sizes to meet different needs (depending on the location). Thanks to the solar supply and radio supply, the stations are independent of stationary supply and can therefore be set up at any free space. The bicycles are pushed horizontally into a corresponding groove on the station with a spur on the steering tube and then locked.

To borrow, either a six-digit code or a transponder key must be entered at the respective bike dock. The bike can then be pulled out and borrowed. To end the rental, the bike is pushed back to any free dock and is automatically locked.

Capital bikeshare bike for demonstration in Times Square

The bikes themselves are painted in a striking red and designed to be robust to prevent frequent defects. They have a three-speed hub gear ( Shimano Nexus) and hub brakes with brake levers (no back pedal). The LED lighting is also integrated directly into the frame or the luggage basket and switches on automatically when driving. The saddle height can be adjusted using a quick release . The tires are made of solid rubber and are therefore puncture-proof.

Financing and pricing

In contrast to SmartBike DC, Capital Bikeshare is not privately financed, but is funded by the Federal Highway Administration and the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation in addition to user fees . That is why neither the bicycles nor the stations have advertising signs .

In addition to the annual or monthly membership, users can also purchase memberships over 24 hours or three days directly at the stations.

The use of the bicycles is free for members for 30 minutes, after which additional fees apply, which increase over time. However, any number of bicycles can be rented one after the other.

User numbers and expansion

A year after the opening, the one millionth trip could be counted. The initiators' expectations have thus been exceeded by far. Over time, additional stations in Washington and Arlington County were added. For the future, stations in other neighboring counties (including Maryland ) are planned.

The National Park Service initially expressed concerns that the stations would disrupt the monumental character of the National Mall , so that there, and in all other areas administered by the NPS, no stations were initially set up. This view was later revised.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b About. In: capitalbikeshare.com. Retrieved July 18, 2012 .
  2. ↑ Bicycle Sharing. (No longer available online.) In: ddot.dc.gov. Archived from the original on August 8, 2012 ; Retrieved July 18, 2012 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / ddot.dc.gov
  3. ↑ DC Bike Sharing Kicks Into High Gear. In: washingtonpost.com. Retrieved July 18, 2012 .
  4. ↑ Clear Channel Outdoor Launches Smart Bike Program in Nation's Capital. In: clearchannel.com. Retrieved July 18, 2012 .
  5. ↑ Goodbye DC Smart Bike, Which never worked did well anyway - Housing Complex. In: washingtoncitypaper.com. Retrieved July 18, 2012 .
  6. ↑ PBSC. (No longer available online.) In: bixisystem.com. Archived from the original on July 28, 2012 ; Retrieved July 18, 2012 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.bixisystem.com
  7. ↑ FAQ | Capital bike share. In: capitalbikeshare.com. Retrieved July 18, 2012 .
  8. ↑ How It Works | Capital bike share. In: capitalbikeshare.com. Retrieved July 18, 2012 .
  9. ↑ pricing. In: capitalbikeshare.com. Retrieved July 18, 2012 .
  10. ↑ Capital Bikeshare hits 1 Million Rides on First Anniversary. (No longer available online.) In: capitalbikeshare.com. Archived from the original on January 25, 2013 ; Retrieved July 19, 2012 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / capitalbikeshare.com
  11. ↑ TheWashCycle: Arlington votes (sort of) to expand CaBi; more places likely to follow. In: thewashcycle.com. Retrieved July 19, 2012 .
  12. ^ Capital Bikeshare Coming to Mall - The Washington Post. In: washingtonpost.com. Retrieved July 19, 2012 .

Web links

Commons : Capital Bikeshare  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files