Coming to GW Parkway: Capital Bikeshare

With the help of federal funding, Arlington will increase the number of Capital Bikeshare stations along and near the scenic George Washington Memorial Parkway from one station to nine stations, according to a news release from the County.

“The George Washington Memorial Parkway, one of our national treasures, is a great place to ride a bike,” said Arlington County Board Chair Mary Hynes, in the release. “Expanding our very successful Capital Bikeshare program to the parkway will give visitors a fun, healthful option for getting around this beautiful national park.” Here’s more about the new stations, from the release:

The eight new stations will help fill Capital Bikeshare gaps between Arlington County, Washington, D.C. and the City of Alexandria, and give visitors new options for visiting the parkway and its iconic vistas of the Potomac River and the National Capital Monuments.

The Arlington County Board voted unanimously Tuesday to approve a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with federal and state authorities to accept federal funding for the installation of eight Capital Bikeshare stations along the parkway. The only bikeshare station now on parkway property is at the Iwo Jima Memorial on North Meade Street. (To read the staff report, visit the County website. Scroll down to Item #30 on the Agenda for the July 18, 2015 Regular County Board Meeting.)

The Federal Lands Access Program awarded the County the grant funds in March 2014. The County has been working since then on an agreement with the Federal Highway Administration’s Eastern Federal Lands Highway Division and the National Park Service, culminating in the MOA approved today by the County Board. The MOA will allow the County to be reimbursed with the grant funds for expenses of installing the new Bikeshare stations. The project agreement includes Arlington County, Eastern Federal Lands Highway Division, National Park Service and the Virginia Department of Transportation.

Eight proposed station locations

The County has proposed the following new Capital Bikeshare station locations:

• Arlington National Cemetery
• Pentagon
• Parking lot serving the parkway and Theodore Roosevelt Island
• Gravelly Point Park
• Crystal City
• Rosslyn
• Joint Base Myer/Henderson Hall
• Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport

Each station will consist of 14 to 20 docks, based on the location’s likely demand, plus a kiosk for purchase of Bikeshare memberships. The station sizes and locations will be decided by collaborative planning with each of the property owners, which include the National Park Service, Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority and Department of Defense.

The new stations will be owned by Arlington County and operated by its Bikeshare contractor. Installation is estimated to begin in summer 2016 and then continue for a year as approvals from property owners, and any needed permits or easements, are received.

County to provide matching funds

The Federal Lands Access Program is a relatively new program, created under the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21), to improve transportation facilities that provide access to, are adjacent to, or are located on federal lands. The federal grant for this Bikeshare project is for up to $286,000, which will be matched by $215,000 in dedicated transportation-only funds from the County.

About Capital Bikeshare

Capital Bikeshare is a joint program of Arlington County, Washington, D.C., the City of Alexandria and Montgomery County. Members use a key fob to check out a bike from a docking station, ride to their destination and return the bike to another docking station. The first 30 minutes of each trip is free. There are more than 350 stations and 3,000 bikes in the region.