Coming Soon: More Bikeshare

by Chris Holben
DDOT Bikesharing Project Manager

Capital Bikeshare (CaBi) rack at the Van Ness Metro.

DDOT’s Capital Bikeshare (or CaBi) will be expanding this Spring with 54 new stations. We will be in-filling areas downtown with the greatest need as well as reaching out into the neighborhoods. As we look to meet up with Montgomery County to the north, we will get there by utilizing the major arterials: Massachusetts, Wisconsin and Connecticut Avenues.

Along Connecticut Avenue, two new stations are being installed at the commercial strips at Nebraska Ave and further south at Yuma. These 2 spots provide central locations for the surrounding neighborhoods to get to and from transit, shopping, and their homes. Typically, bikeshare stations are located on DC-owned right of way with a high density of housing, employment and commercial areas. These two stations are between ¼ and ¾ of a mile from the next closest bikeshare stations at the Van Ness metro and Tenleytown metro stations.

The red ribbon marks the site of a new CaBi station coming to the west side of Connecticut, between Fessenden and Nebraska. (photo from Google Earth and DDOT)

People can become CaBi members online for $75 a year, $25 for a month or can use it for a day ($7) by signing up at any of the stations. Regardless of your membership type, every trip under 30 minutes is free. We start charging you after the first 30 minutes. This allows the bikes to circulate amongst our members.

Members use the system in a variety of ways: bike to and from work; bike to work after dropping off kids at school; bike to the grocery store and car share back (loaded with bags); bike all the way downtown on a nice day; metro to the Mall and bike around to the cherry blossoms; one-way trips; brunch down in Woodley Park; and soon bike to Friendship Heights when Montgomery County installs their stations.

Site of an upcoming Capital Bikeshare station between Yuma and Albemarle, on the east side of Connecticut Avenue. (photo from Google Earth and DDOT)

Members are legally allowed to bike in the street and on the sidewalks except for the area downtown south of Massachusetts Avenue. Members in the Connecticut Avenue corridor will use the streets and sidewalks depending on their biking skill level and when they are riding: rush hour vs. off peak; weekday vs weekend. Two of our signed routes in the area are the east-west bike route with pavement markings on Van Ness between Connecticut and Wisconsin and the north-side signed bike route on 36th and 37th Streets. If riding on sidewalks, bikes should always yield to pedestrians and bikeshare bikes come with a bell. Use it!

Lastly, members can see if bikes and spaces are available online at www.capitalbikeshare.com/stations or with our free smart phone app called Spotcycle.

Chris Holben is the District Department of Transportation Bikeshare Program Manager. He has spent the last 10 years with DDOT working on bicycle projects including trail design and construction and bike parking. He launched and operates the District’s piece the Capital Bikeshare program. Chris has a master’s degree in Landscape Architecture from the University of Michigan. He has lived and worked overseas in Honduras, Bolivia and Thailand. And he currently lives in DC with his wife and kids.