We already know that Paris is gearing up for a “free” bike rental program that begins July 15. I was surprised to learn that Washington DC is considering launching its own, smaller scale, automated bike rental program that could get off the ground by the end of the summer.
The District Department of Transportation, working with bus shelter supplier Clear Channel Adshel, plans to install 10 kiosks in the greater downtown area where up to 120 bicycles can be rented. It would be the first such program in the US.
DDOT is seeking input from cyclists and others about good locations for those Smart Bike kiosks (Singapore kiosk pictured above). Clear Channel owns and maintains the kiosks and makes money by selling advertising; it pays a fee or shares revenue with the municipality.
In an email at BikeWashington, bike/ped manager James R. Sebastian said DC would be the first city in North America to use the program. He hopes to get a few kiosks installed by the end of the summer, with the rest up and running by next summer.
Although not everything is set in concrete, like locations, he shared some facts about the program for recommending locations for the kiosks, which are about 6-by-30 feet:
– Locks will not be provided by the system, so cyclists can only park the smartbikes kiosks.
– Because of the web-based registration and member card requirement, the system is not geared toward tourists.
– We need a space roughly 30 feet by 6 feet for each kiosk, considerable space, but we will scope out the exact site.
– Locations with lots or jobs, housing, retail, major attractions, and nearby bike facilities are obviously best.
You can answer questions at the DDOT survey.
Clear Channel Adshel has Smart Bike programs up and running in London, Singapore, Rennes, Barcelona and elsewhere.
Here's a link to the Clear Channel Adshel Smart Bike website.
Read also “Oh la la! Free bicycle use in Paris”
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