City Officials Kick Off Bikeshare Program
Community members say bike rental program will aid transportation issues and boost economic development. Plus, it makes Alexandria "cool."
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On a beautiful Wednesday made for a bike ride, the City of Alexandria kicked up the kickstand and officially launched its Capital Bikeshare pilot program.
Mayor Bill Euille said the program, which currently includes eight bike rental stations in and around Old Town, fits right in with Alexandria’s transportation vision that prioritizes “moving people over moving cars.”
Plus, noted Deputy City Manager Tom Gates, the program “adds a certain measure of ‘coolness’ to the city.”
Capital Bikeshare has put more than 1,600 bikes on the road in Arlington County and Washington, D.C. in the last three years. More than 175 stations are now available, with more on the way.
Many Alexandria residents have asked for expansion of the program into neighborhoods such as Del Ray, according to director of the city’s Department of Transportation and Environmental Services, Rich Baier.
He said the city is working with the Virginia Department of Transportation to convert some state road funds into monies that could be used to help expand the Bikeshare program. The city has also identified some grant opportunities to bolster Bikeshare, he told Patch.
Baier said the next group of expansions would be considered in Del Ray, Arlandria and the Carlyle area.
Jonathan Krall, who heads the city’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee, told the audience gathered in Market Square that Bikeshare will help small businesses in the area.
He said studies have shown that bicyclists are more apt to stop and shop similar to pedestrians walking by a store.
Transportation Commission Chairman Kevin Posey, who attended the event, said the commission plans to hold a meeting in November to address the issue of bike facilities throughout the city, such as bike lanes and sharrows.
Current Capital Bikeshare station locations in Alexandria are as follows:
- King Street-Old Town Metro
- Braddock Road Metro
- Corner of Prince Street and S. Union Street
- Corner of King Street and N. Royal Street
- Corner of King Street and S. Patrick Street
- Corner of Commerce Street and S. Fayette Street
- Near The Henry at Pendleton and N. Henry streets
- Near Trader Joe’s at the intersection of Pendleton and N. St. Asaph streets
In This article
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Market Square
301 King St, Alexandria, VA -
Trader Joe's
612 N Saint Asaph St, Alexandria, VA
Caleb Cody-Beckham
11:59 am on Thursday, September 20, 2012
I've ridden these in other cities and found them to be very helpful. The only bad thing is that it puts a lot of people on bikes who are not well versed in safe biking. Drivers and other bikers need to be extra careful when they see a red bike.
dandaman606
1:49 pm on Thursday, September 20, 2012
If Capital Bikeshare is now operationally profitable, why did the City feel the need to spend $400G on this program? To add "coolness to the city"? I see that all these locations are around Old Town. Does the city think that offering citizens and tourists the ability to zip up and down King st.on two wheels a brilliant idea? Why, because other cool cities are doing it?
McBrinn
6:50 pm on Thursday, September 20, 2012
This is going to clog King Street even worse. We really need an obese 55 year old man on a bike for the first time in 20 years weaving down King Street at the height of tourist season.
hackery
12:17 am on Friday, September 21, 2012
Hansen shut him down on another thread today, but I think McBrinn's comments are performance art -- He's the Statler and Waldorf of Del Ray. Certainly more entertaining than the tit-for-tat by the Obama and Romney campaign surrogates that the Valerie Jarrett thread has subjected us to for the last three weeks. Hansen, for the love of God, shut that one down too!
Eliz Wright
7:50 pm on Thursday, September 20, 2012
The recommended "path" for the CaBi bikes is on both Prince St and Cameron, avoiding King St. Participating in the fall bike/ped count last Saturday, I counted a minimum four CaBi bikes riding east on Prince St out of a total of 28 during a two hour period. More than 10%! Would you rather have had those folks in cars? Expanding the carbon footprint? McBrinn, I find your comment sexist; do you think only men ride bikes? The bike count on Saturday was 50/50 male/female.
Lee Hernly
9:26 am on Friday, September 21, 2012
That would clog Prince & Cameron, those drivers trying to get around the King Street traffic, worse too.
logreen
8:36 pm on Thursday, September 20, 2012
It is too early to tell if the bike share program is a good idea for our already conjested streets, but I do know taking away vaulable parking spaces to make room for the bikes is a terrible idea.
McBrinn
7:28 am on Friday, September 21, 2012
Hansen wasn't shutting me down He was shutting down the multi-handlers like Patrick Smith. Hansen appreciates my contributions. I drive tons of traffic here.
Eliz- my apologies. I refrained from including women out of a sense of decorum. My mother always taught me it was rude to reference a woman's weight or age.