City Life--"Bikeshare has Made it to Ward 4" Edition

So, by now you must know that I spend an inordinate amount of time thinking about my bicycle. Even though I average only about 25 miles/week on it at this point. (dry cough). Nothing gets me more excited than having to go someplace new in the city, and then having to figure out the most favorable bicycle route to get there. The velogirl can attest--I talk about future rides for more time than the actual ride usually takes.

So, because I like to talk about them to anyone who will listen, you can imagine how excited I was when I noticed them putting up a Capital Bikeshare kiosk less than a block away! I am a huge fan of this new edition to our neighborhood for a number of reasons, as you might imagine:

• It gives folks who hate the bus a way to rebel. And, as anyone who has spent any amount of time riding their bike next to a bus can attest, it is SO satisfying to give the bus driver the finger if they try to cut you off as you zoom past. Try it. It's liberating.

• Having Bikeshare so close means that I'll see more bicyclists on the usual areas that I and the Velogirl ride. And more cyclists means more awareness from motorists, which leads to fewer instances of me having to kick passenger doors as they try to merge into my lane. (I swear I'm not a violent person)
  

• Bikeshare is cheap compared to the metro: $50/year for the membership. What is that, like $4/month? If i didn't already have a bike, I would be all over that. Plus, the first 30 minutes of each ride are free. Which means, even if you like to minimize sweating and pedal all leisurely like, you can still get to any other BikeShare kiosk within a 5 mile radius each time you ride for no extra charge. That would pretty much cover most people's commutes to downtown.
  

• I am really impressed that Bikeshare decided to put the bicycles where they did--right here in Ward 4. I expected one up in Columbia Heights (there's one right next to the grocery store), but to put one north of Spring Street on 14th? That makes me really happy. The kind of happy you get when you realize that the city understands what you need to make it a little more livable.

Of course, it ain't all roses. There are certain longtime residents of my neighborhood (For whom the word "Bicycle" is code for "gentrification"), who will not be as thrilled with the direction alternative transportation is taking in our neighborhood. And, many will probably never try to ride the 5 blocks up to Giant and back. And that is their right. Although, I will say with pride that, at least in our little neck of the woods, bicycles are owned and operated by all ages, classes, and races. So, there has to be SOMETHING to this bicycle phenomenon that urban centers are experiencing, even if they aren't getting buy-in from everyone.

My (naive?) hope is that this new set-up of easily accessible bicycles for rent will encourage one more person to, as the saying goes, "Shut up and Ride."