DC gets smart on bikes–but what about Georgetown?
Posted by: Lynn Kirshbaum in District News
The District’s Department of Transportation has partnered with Clear Channel Outdoor to bring Smart Bike, North America’s first bike sharing program, to DC. Starting next month, program members will be able to borrow bicycles from ten locations around the city for a maximum of three hours at a time. Membership costs $40 for the year, a comparatively small sum for unlimited transportation use during a time of oil price increases.
But the limited number of rental stations may not make this the most convenient mode of transportation for many in DC, especially Georgetown students. The closest Smart Bike docking points to Georgetown are in Dupont Circle and at George Washington University—yes, they get their very own station at Foggy Bottom.
If Georgetown can’t manage to secure a Metro station, you’d think we could at least get some free bikes. To learn more, check out Smart Bike DC online.
- Lynn Kirshbaum, Photo Editor. Photo of Paris bike share from Flickr user rekha6.
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April 30th, 2008 at 7:27 pm
The bike share stops right now seem oriented to giving people leaving Metro stations mobility, rather than giving people bikes to get to Metro stations (as I would like). I guess that makes sense since people who’ve taken the Metro won’t have their bikes with them. Still, gimme a bike stop!
April 30th, 2008 at 8:22 pm
Plus, looking at the map, some of the bike stands seem to be pretty far apart. If you pull up to the stop in Foggy Bottom near the end of 3 hours and discover that the rack is full, then you’re pretty screwed seeing as how the closest ones to there are McPherson Square and Dupont. But I see no reason why they won’t be expanding into Georgetown eventually (hopefully sooner rather than later) and placing more racks around the city.
April 30th, 2008 at 11:08 pm
Good point. I was thinking you could grab a bike and go to work, but I guess the bike needs to be back in 3 hours.