SmartBike to Debut: A Wheel Deal in D.C.

WASHINGTONIANS, PREPARE TO SEE RED while locked in rush-hour gridlock. Don't worry — it's not more traffic angst. It's the 120 cherry-hued cruisers about to be unleashed on the streets for SmartBike, a rental service for two-wheelers.

When it launches later this month, SmartBike will be the first bike-sharing program in the country. In the mold of successful European projects, like Paris' Velib and Barcelona's Bicing, it's meant to give folks a dose of exercise and convenience. A $40 annual fee ($30 for Washington Area Bicyclist Association and Zipcar members) enables riders to check out a bike for three hours for free.

"It could be people going to lunch, the doctor or the Metro," says Jim Sebastian, manager of the Bicycle, Pedestrian and Transportation Demand Management Programs at the District Department of Transportation. "Those kind of people, those kind of trips."

It's taken five years to gear up for such an innovation. But funding finally materialized when DDOT incorporated the racks into a bus shelter advertising deal with Clear Channel Outdoor. Now the 10 racks are finally being cemented in place (mostly around downtown Metro stop, and all in Northwest), and the bikes are just about ready to roll.

And already they're 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.

"People aren't going to need to get from one Metro station to another," DeMaio says. "They're going to need to go to the library, grocery stores, coffee shops. Having these racks located every 300 to 500 feet would make it easier for people to get around."

The two programs will work slightly differently. 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."

She'll have to remember to pack her helmet, though — unfortunately, although wearing protective gear is encouraged, it won't be part of the rental deal.

Photo by Marge Ely/Express