D.C. may never be the chic fashion capital that Paris is, but the District will soon adopt one fashionable transportation trend from the city of love. This spring, D.C. will launch the first state-side high-tech public bicycle sharing program, SmartBike, sponsored by Clear Channel Outdoor and the District Department of Transportation. Modeled after similar systems in Paris and other European cities, SmartBike will offer D.C. residents a convenient option for traveling shorter distances and represents a commendable commitment to pollution-free transportation.
Set to launch in mid-May, SmartBike has already installed kiosks in their first 10 locations, which will have 120 bikes, downtown. For Georgetown students, the most convenient locations are Dupont Circle and Foggy Bottom. Users will pay an annual fee of $40 for unlimited three hour rentals, a fee roughly equivalent to a tank of gas or 15 round-trip rides on the Metro.
There are reasons to be optimistic other than the program’s affordability. While earlier attempts at bike-sharing in the U.S., most notably in Portland in the mid-90s, failed because the bikes were unlocked and relied on the honor system, the D.C. SmartBike program relies on a state-of-the-art electronic docking system to lock bikes into place, significantly reducing the possiblility of theft. Paul DeMaio, owner of MetroBike, LLC, North America’s first bike-sharing consultancy, said that he expects the program to be overwhelmed at first, so SmartBike should be ready to increase bikes and kiosks to meet demand as needed.
Apart from its convenience for D.C. residents, the program could also help make the District a more environmentally friendly city. Vélib’, Paris’ bike-sharing program, increased Paris’ percentage of bike trips from 1 percent of trips taken in the city to between 4 and 7 percent and reduced gasoline consumption and traffic congestion, according to DeMaio. With the price of oil over $100 a barrel and global warming looming large, D.C. residents and Georgetown students alike should embrace an environmentally sustainable transportation option like SmartBike.
It’s too early to declare the SmartBike program a success, but if other bike-sharing programs are any indication, 120 bikes are only the beginning. Since Paris began its high-tech bike-sharing program last June, it has doubled its initial 10,0000 bicycles and 750 locations. The District DOT should work with Clear Channel Outdoor to bring more bikes and more kiosks to the city, and especially to Georgetown, where bikes would be a welcome alternative to increasingly time-consuming and energy-wasting bus transportation.
