Washington’s mayor, Adrian Fenty, takes a test spin on one of the city’s new shared bikes.Photo: Matt MartinezIf you want to see what a good bike share system can do for a city, go to Lyon, France. I just returned from a week-long visit, and the bikes were coming and going the minute I stepped out of the door: A man in a suit with groceries from the corner market (it looked like bread, milk, and some flowers). German tourists yakking away while riding along the banks of the Rhone River. Students zipping through the Place Bellecour on their way to class, or to meet friends at a café. It made the city feel alive. And it made me wish that D.C.’s bike share system were as vibrant and useful as Lyon’s.
Well, it didn’t take long for my wish to come true — sort of. Shortly after I got back to the States I learned that the District was scrapping its old bike share system and debuting a new, expanded regional one.
Washington D.C. and Arlington County debuted Capital Bikeshare today. It’s the largest bike sharing program in the United States — 1,100 bikes at 100 kiosks in the District and Northern Virginia. (... Read more
