Bike-Share Update: DC First Out of the Gate
On Wednesday Streetsblog declared Portland the leader in the race to launch a public bike-share program here in America. But as reader Chris Loos pointed out, a bike-share system in Washington is actually imminent.
By
Ben Fried
10:05 AM EST on March 7, 2008
On Wednesday Streetsblog declared Portland the leader in the race to launch a public bike-share program here in America. But as reader Chris Loos pointed out, a bike-share system in Washington is actually imminent.
“DC SmartBike” will launch as a pilot program in the coming weeks with 120 bikes at 10 stations, available for an annual subscription of about $40. It’s not exactly Vélib, but it’s a start. During an address at the Bike Summit earlier this week, Emeka Moneme,
head of DC’s DOT, said that his department is also looking at developing a
region-wide bike-share network in Washington, Maryland, and Virginia. For more coverage of the city’s bike-share plans, check out the excellent DC bike blog WashCycle.
Ben Fried started as a Streetsblog reporter in 2008 and led the site as editor-in-chief from 2010 to 2018. He lives in Ditmas Park, Brooklyn, with his wife.
Read More:
More from Streetsblog New York City
Mamdani Administration Backs ‘Delivery Protection’ Law Opposed By Amazon-Backed Coalition
Amazon-backed groups bused dozens of people to City Hall to fight a Mamdani-backed proposal to regulate the e-commerce wild west.
April 10, 2026
POL PLOT: Hochul’s Insurance Plan Is A Statewide Head-Scratcher
"I think if you are injured through negligence, you should be able to seek justice at all costs," said one state Senator.
April 10, 2026
Tribeca Residents Want To Swap Parking for A Plaza at Underused Barnett Newman Triangle
Council Member Chris Marte is backing a local push to transform Barnett Newman Triangle from a sad concrete island into a lush urban oasis.
April 10, 2026
Friday’s Headlines: The Streetsblog Block Party (Canceled!) Edition
The World Cup is getting in the way of Streetsblog's attempts to celebrate its 20th anniversary. Plus the news.
April 10, 2026
‘Predictable’: Manhattan Mom Struck by Driving Scofflaw Wants Known Super Speeders off the Road
Another crash shows how little the political class wants to get reckless drivers off the road.
April 9, 2026
Comments Are Temporarily Disabled
Streetsblog is in the process of migrating our commenting system. During this transition, commenting is temporarily unavailable.
Once the migration is complete, you will be able to log back in and will have full access to your comment history. We appreciate your patience and look forward to having you back in the conversation soon.