BikeDC

10th and U St, NW

When CaBi was first released I got a number of emails praising the system. Over the past few months I’ve received a number of emails expressing frustration. Personally I’ve also been frustrated with the system. Sometimes I feel like the people who run CaBi at DDOT are a little bit too self congratulatory. The idea of the system is awesome. The system today sucks. Far too many people are unable to get bikes when they want them. Yet other stations seem hardly touched. I even had one reader write that they were considering getting a bike a half hour early – taking it to their apartment so they’d the have one for their commute. That is ridiculous. Another reader writes, “I just tallied up the 8 stations that service this area (A/M, ColHts, Mt. Plst, etc). Out of 118 possible docks, there are currently 17 bikes available. And who knows how many of those 17 are operable.” The system continues to have extraordinary potential but the powers that be need to understand that many many users currently feel fracked by the system. And that needs to change.

If you’d like to express your frustration there is a public meeting on Wednesday, May 25. From DDOT:

Starting this summer, DDOT is planning to expand the current system with 25 new stations and 250 new bikes. The expansion is set to be completed by Fall 2011.

At the meeting, DDOT officials will provide an update on the expansion plan, explain the process for evaluating new stations, share the feedback that has been received from the community about the potential locations for new stations, and solicit additional feedback from the participants.

A listing of the proposed station locations and a printable map is available online at ddot.dc.gov/capitalbikeshare. Comments may be submitted via email to [email protected].

Capital Bikeshare is a bikesharing program developed through a partnership between DDOT and Arlington County and operated by Alta Bicycle Share, Inc. Capital Bikeshare offers four different membership options: Annual ($75), Monthly ($25), 5-Day ($15) and 24-hour ($5) for access to a fleet of 1,100 bicycles located at over 110 stations across the District and Arlington. Additional information about Capital Bikeshare is available at www.CapitalBikeshare.com.

What: Public Meeting for the Expansion of Capitol Bikeshare

When: Wednesday, May 25, 2011
6 – 8 pm

Where: 441 4th Street, NW, Room 1107, Washington, DC

Building Museum at 5th and F St, NW

“Dear PoP,

On Monday, April 11, 2011 I had two bikes stolen from my patio. The guy took his time and came back several times to get them as he had to climb a fence cut cables and then carry them out.. I was wondering if you could post his photo / video on your forum to see if this can help gather some leads. Anything you could do to help I’d greatly appreciate it as would all my neighbors.

It all started at 6:26pm and ended with him @ 7:05pm going across 16th and Oak and then travels north up Hertford Pl.”

View Larger Map

If anyone sees suspicious behavior like this – be sure to call the cops.

“Dear PoP,

The bike I’ve had for the last 10 years finally died a few months ago, and I’m looking to get a new one pronto. Where are your readers’ favorite sources for used bikes? I don’t want to spend a fortune given the frequency of bike thefts in the city — maybe $200 or less. Are there any shops in the area that will sell used bikes (all I’ve found so far is Big Wheel Bikes, and everything they have is listed is more than I want to spend), or any used bike sales coming up? Craigslist hasn’t been that helpful, and my Googling isn’t turning up much either.”

Any good ideas besides Craigslist?

“Dear PoP,

Join us for DC’s first-ever-in-recorded-history (or at least the past 2 years) COFFEE BIKE CRAWL.

This is happening on MAY 8TH and you can bring your BICYCLE for a morning of local coffee superstars, sunshine (hopefully), and good company.

Here are the details:
…
8:30 – Meet at Qualia Coffee (3917 Georgia Ave NW, just north of Georgia Petworth Metro at Randolf St) Meet at Bike House in the alley that runs between Randolph and Shepard St.
9:00 – Head to Filter Coffeehouse (1726 20th Street NW, at S St)
9:45 – Head to Yola (1323 Connecticut Ave NW, enter from back entrance on 18th and N St.)
10:15 – Head to Big Bear (1700 1st Street NW)
11:00 – Head to Sova (1359 H Street NE)
11:45 – Head to Pound (621 Pennsylvania Ave SE, near Eastern Market Metro)

Check out the route here.

No need to register or anything, but you should rsvp to this invite to get updates via le facebook.

questions? email liz ([email protected]) or laura ([email protected])

Coffee and Bike enthusiasts unite!”

Georgia Ave-Petworth Metro Saturday April 23

“Dear PoP,

DC Department of Transportation (DDOT) has a map of proposed Bikeshare stations accessible via their website (http://ddot.dc.gov/DC/DDOT/On+Your+Street/Bicycles+and+Pedestrians/View+All/Bicycle+Sharing Under the section marked Expansion).  DCers can advocate for one of the proposed stations by emailing comments to [email protected].  A public meeting on future Bikeshare expansion is scheduled for May 25th from 6-8 pm in room 1107 at 441 4th Street NW.”

On a selfish note – I’ll ask people who live in the Petworth area to please advocate for one on the corner of Georgia Ave and Upshur St, NW. Please! This past weekend (see photos) both Sat. and Sun. all the bikes were gone from the Georgia Ave-Petworth metro station.

Where else do you think should get a new station? Don’t forget to email your comments to [email protected].

We recently spoke about the scarcity of Capital Bikeshare bikes at certain stations here.

Georgia Ave-Petworth Metro Sunday April 24

“Dear PoP,

I’m a big fan of the Capital Bike Share system, was one of the charter members ($50 a year instead of $75), and simply love the concept. However, I feel like Columbia Heights and Petworth tend to get the sticky end of the stick when it comes down to actually being able to ride a bike. Consider this morning, here we are again with close to zero bikes available.

I was walking to the station at 14th and Harvard and thought it might be a good idea to see if any bikes were available. Not a single bike at Petworth OR any of the CH stations. Yet again.

Rush hours happen, I get it, but this is at midday on a Monday. The other end of this problem is finding somewhere to dock a bike on the other end. On a Saturday I often have to get a 15 minute extension to try and find an open dock on Corcoran St by Safeway (17th Street restaurants) and nearby stations on 14th St. I mentioned these problems to a friend in Barcelona (they have a similar system called ‘Bicing’) and he said they’re really on the ball over there and he’s never seen this happen.

The CaBi system just offered half price memberships on Living Social and I read that somewhere in the region of 4,000+ memberships had been purchased. I’m all for funding expansion of the system but only if the members can actually use it.

Is this just my bad luck or are there other black hole stations in the system that need addressing? I’d like to suggest something to CaBi and am curious about other’s experience in the area.”

Are you guys noticing it is getting harder to find a bike at the bike share station? I’m usually able to get one at the intersection of Georgia and New Hampshire Ave, NW by Sweet Mango though I was thwarted last Sunday afternoon on H St, NE: