Smart Bike Station at 14th and U Streets NW (Luis Gomez Photos)
The Smart Bike station at 14th & U Streets NW at the Reeves Municipal Center is off line. Bikes can not be returned or rented there.
The SmartBike rental rack at 14th and U Streets by the Reeves Municipal Center. (Borderstan)
The DC Department of Transportation (DDOT) yesterday announced the location of 90 addtional bike share spots in the city. There will be a total 100 bike share stations in DC spread throughout the city’s eight wards. The implementation period is August through November with about 30 new stations to be launched in September.
According to the DDOT map, seven of the additional 90 bike share stations are planned for the Dupont-Logan-U Street area:
- 1458 P Street NW (at 15th)
- 1401 R Street NW (at 14th)
- 1632 17th Street NW (at Corcoran)
- 1702 18th Street NW (at R)
- 1919 Florida Avenue NW (at 19th)
- 1944 New Hampshire Avenue NW (at intersection with U and 16th)
- 2003 10th Street NW (at U)
DC already has the SmartBike program, which was launched in August 2008 and has 10 locations. Three of the 10 current locations are in the neighborhood: 1443 U Street NW (Reeves Center), 1404 Rhode Island Avenue (at 14th), and 1913 Massachusetts Avenue (north of Dupont Circle).
DDOT has posted maps and information on its website under the Bicycle and Pedestrian programs. The three maps highlight various aspects of the analysis including a density analysis map and a crowd sourcing heat map. DDOT says it used a number of factors to determine the locations including population density, employment density, proximity to transit and the bike-to-work rate. DDOT also incorporated crowd sourcing as a means to identify locations.
Bikesharing is bike transit–an automated, public bike rental system. DDOT has a good fact sheet on how the system works. In addition, Arlington will have a total of 14 bike share stations, which will be part of the 100-station network in DC.
DC and Arlington County are launching a new regional bikesharing system in fall 2010 with roughly 1100 bikes at 114 stations (100 in DC, 14 in Arlington). The locations are scheduled to be rolled out (installed) starting in August thru November, with a launch of about 30 stations in September.
The DC government has joined with the Arlington County government to create a new regional bike-sharing program. Later this year you will be able to pick up a bike in DC, ride to Arlington and leave it there–and vice versa.
DC Department of Transportation (DDoT) says, “This expanded, regional system follows the success of SmartBike DC, launched in 2008. The new system will launch later this year with roughly 1,100 bikes at 114 stations and will be largest of its kind in the US.”
SmartBike, the DC bicycle sharing program currently has 10 stations and 100 bicycles. Three of the 10 stations are in the Dupont-Logan-U Street area:
- Logan Circle: 14th and Rhode Island NW (southwest corner by 7-11 store)
- Dupont Circle: Massachusetts Avenue and Dupont Circle NW (west of Dupont Circle)
- Reeves Center: 14th and U NW (northwest corner of intersection)
There is also a station in Shaw at the northwest corner of 7th and T Streets NW.
I have already seen two locations for SmartBikeDC in the area — the northwest corner of 14th and U (pictured) and at the southwest corner of 14th and Rhode Island Avenue (by 7-11). Smart bike locations are on this map.
The SmartBike rental rack at 14th and U Streets by the Reeves Municipal Center.
You can now rent a bike in D.C. the same way you can rent a car for a few hours or a day. You may have seen the bike rack on the northwest corner of 14th and U Streets near the Reeves Municipal Building for SmartBike DC. The Washington Post has an article today.
- See the map and instructions for using SmartBike.
- More from today’s Washington Post:”SmartBike DC will rent 120 bikes at 10 self-service racks mostly in the downtown area, including near the Gallery Place, Shaw and Judiciary Square Metrorail stations. A $40 annual fee gets riders a membership card, which allows them to pick up a cherry red three-speed bike. Then it’s time to tool around the city for up to three hours. Those who want to keep going can pick up another bike; there’s no limit on the number of trips.”
