D.C. Bike Sharing Kicks Into High Gear

Ellen Jones, transportation director for the Downtown Business Improvement District, waits while riding a rented BikeShare DC bicycle. The program has 120 rentals at 10 downtown kiosks. (By Dominic Bracco Ii -- The Washington Post)
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District officials tried to find a way to equip the bikes with locks, so they could be parked safely outside of a rack. But for now, riders have to provide their own locks. The bikes are secured in the racks by two prongs attached to the handlebars that electronically lock into place upon return.

As the program begins, SmartBike DC is targeting experienced riders who are familiar with city streets, rather than tourists. Short-term memberships are not available, and riders must be at least 18.

"We want to start small and start slow," Sebastian said. "We don't want the first-time people . . . we're trying to keep this simple at first."

Many of the kiosks are near streets that host some of the city's 34 miles of bike lanes. Thirty-one miles' worth have been added in the past seven years.

In most cities, bike sharing is a public-private partnership between city governments and outdoor advertising companies. The District's program will be maintained by Clear Channel Outdoor and is part of a 20-year bus shelter contract.

"We're getting inquiries from all around the country to see if they can take the same program and implement it in their city," said Steve Ginsburg of Clear Channel Outdoor.

District officials had hoped to launch SmartBike this spring, but several obstacles delayed the start. Providing electricity to the computerized racks ended up being a sticking point with local power provider Pepco.

About half of the fleet, about 60 bikes, is available for rental, Sebastian said. Although only seven kiosks were up and running during a test period last week, he said he expected that all 10 would be ready for use today.

About 150 memberships have been sold so far, Sebastian said.

On Monday, Ellen Jones used SmartBike to travel between her downtown office and the Frank Reeves Center on U Street for a meeting.

Jones, transportation director for the Downtown Business Improvement District, walked to the rack at 14th and H streets NW, but it wasn't working. She ended up taking the bus to U Street.

The ride home was more successful. As she rode south on 14th Street and east on F Street, several people pointed at her, primarily at stoplights.

"It simply makes getting around a lot of fun," Jones said.