More Smart Bike and Bike to Work Week coverage

Often at this time of year Kojo Nnamdi spends a little time discussing "Cycling in Our Region" and this year is no different. This year Jim Sebastian, DDOT's Bicycle (and Pedestrian and TDM) Coordinator, Paul DeMaio, from MetroBike LLC, and Eric Gilliland (by phone) of WABA were his guests. They discussed the SmartBike pilot program to start by the end of the month (?). It's a three-gear bike with an internal hub I've learned. They discussed bike bunching, problems with installation of kiosks, what to do if the kiosk you want to park at is full (go to another kiosk or wait for someone to check one out and open a space).

"Bike sharing is not bike rental. You aren't supposed to take your bike into your office for 8 hours"

There were also discussions of the need for more facilities, the history of WABA, Bike to Work Day (which will be greener than ever this year), Competent Cycling Classes, legal and safe cycling, etc...

There was more coverage of SmartBike - and Arlington's program - in the Express

And already [DC is] about to face some competition from across the river. Arlington is right on D.C.'s heels with its own bike rental program, set to launch this fall.

The details are still a bit fuzzy, but Paul DeMaio, bicycle promotions and car-sharing manager at the Arlington Division of Transportation, predicts at least 100 bikes will be available, scattered throughout the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor.

SmartBike customers can get wheels off electric racks with a swipe of a membership card, while Arlington is considering a digital service in which users could unlock their rides via cell phone.

DeMaio anticipates an annual fee but says Arlington will also offer a weekly membership for tourists and those who want to try the system without making the yearlong commitment.

WABA Executive Director Eric Gilliland says the dual programs demonstrate  how far bicycling has come in the Washington area.
"It's not just the ‘men in tights' — the guys out training or the hard-core commuters. It's accessible to everyone," he says.

That includes Sarah Roque. The 31-year-old usually bikes from her Bethesda digs to her day job at the Department of Justice on a hybrid she bought off Craigslist. Even so, she often finds herself without wheels when she wants to take a quick daytime excursion. "I would love to go to certain places on an hour lunch break, but you just can't get over to the Mall," she says. "I think this is a great idea."

The GWhatchet also has a write up on it.

"We are starting with a relatively small program compared to the European states and seeing what happens," Sebastian said. "We will accept two to three thousand subscribers, see how it's used and what people like and don't like, and then expand it."

D.C. has over 30 miles of bike lanes, with plans for new lanes on G, H, 21st and 22nd streets in Foggy Bottom. DDOT is also in talks to set up a bike dock in Georgetown.

"I have seen bikers use sidewalks putting pedestrians at risk," said David Lehrman, a Foggy Bottom Advisory Neighborhood Commission member. "At least with Zipcar, a valid license and insurance is required. No skills test is involved with a bike rider."

Yes, because clearly DC area drivers are highly skilled. [Nor is there a skills test for being an ANC member it appears.] Competent cycling classes, mentioned above - are free.

"This is a great idea for sustainability and turning D.C. into a bike-friendly city," GW senior Maggie Desmond said. "It will cut down on the use of cabs and Zipcar."

Additionally if you keep listening, Kojo interviews Jim Malusa, the author of "Into Thick Air: Biking to the Bellybutton of Six Continents" - the guy who biked to the lowest point of every continent (I've been to Bad Water in Death Valley but I didn't bike it. You could probably bike from near the top of Mt Whitney, the highest point in the continental US, to Bad Water in a single day - but I'd do it in the winter).

Addendum: The Gazette has a BTWD story as well - this one about Frederick, MD. Both the city and county transportation planners bike to work. It gives me great hope to see more transportation people - not just bike coordinators - biking to work.

Upon accepting a position with the county last year, John Thomas, Frederick County’s transportation planner and his wife looked specifically for a home in Frederick city so he could ride his bike to work. Selling one of their cars, Thomas said they were able to buy ‘‘more house” with the savings by not having to pay insurance, maintenance, gas and other expenses for one of the vehicles.

‘‘In my everyday job, I’m tasked with dealing with transportation and traffic, one of the biggest issues in the county,” he said. ‘‘It is hard to say biking is a valid transportation option if I don’t do it myself.”

Tim Davis, transportation planner for the City of Frederick, admits that while he is not on par with Thomas’ daily dedication, he too is an avid biker who commutes from his home in Ballenger Creek to the city’s Municipal Annex on West Patrick Street as much as he can.

Davis said the city’s Shared Use Path Plan is helping to create more off-street recreational bike paths as well as link existing paths around the city, including county paths. The city has also committed $1.5 million to ‘‘Rails to Trails” program that turns former railroad tracks to recreational paths.

Next year, he said, the city will undertake the development of a bicycle plan and network map for on-road streets in the city.

And more at RPUS.

Comments

[Contrarian]

I went down to Freedom Plaza and despite the rain I think this was the best BTWD yet. The crowd filled the plaza well, three councilmembers spoke.

I got a closeup look at the smartbikes. They look pretty good, but it is disappointing that they have no lights. Although I guess there's no reason you couldn't carry front and rear blinkies in your pockets.

[jeff]

Actually, they do have light sensing, motion activated "be seen" lights in both the front and rear. The only draw back is they're battery operated instead of dynamo driven which means constantly having to replace them.

[jeff]

Hi. Please join the Bicycle to Work! LinkedIn networking group. Members pledge that they will try to ride their bicycle to work or on an errand at least once a week. Although the benefits should be obvious, let me outline them here.

Right now people in the industrialized world are facing two very grave problems: obesity and a growing scarcity of oil. Compounding this problem is the new food shortage brought about, in part, by the conversion of food cropland to bio-fuel crop production. Most people feel powerless to help, but there is one thing that we can do. Ride our bicycles to work.

If everyone would agree to ride their bikes to work one day per week we could cut oil consumption by as much as 10-15%. No one would argue that riding a bike burns more calories than driving the car. Although popular politically right now, most bio-fuels consume more energy than they produce. We would be much better to eat those bio-crops then use our own energy to transport us around.

So spread the word. Make it a movement! Bicycle to work one day a week and do your part to cut back obesity and the overuse of oil and precious cropland.

Just go to my profile at http://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreylstevenson and you can click on the group to be included. While you are there, don't forget to ask to link to my network of more than 9,000,000 like-minded professionals. I accept all invitations and look forward to meeting you.

Jeff