Few transportation projects have transformed D.C. as thoroughly as Capital Bikeshare. From humble beginnings in 2010 with fewer than 50 stations, there are now over three hundred stations and 2500 bikes spread across the city.
For most of us, the bikesharing program is a fun way to get some exercise, a commute-shortener, or an excuse to get rid of our cars. And most of us don't give much more thought to it than that. Sure, we lobby for a new dock near our house or office, we wave at the hardworking bike rebalancers.
Delve a little deeper, though, and you realize that Capital Bikeshare is an incredibly complex system. Users take hundreds of thousands of trips per month (many more in the spring and summer--the system set new ridership records during the Cherry Blossom Festival). Bike docks empty out of neighborhoods like Columbia Heights in the mornings and fill downtown, and the pattern reverses in the evening. Placing new stations is more of an art than a science.
As the system heads toward its four-year anniversary, we thought we'd compile our favorite facts, thoughts and stories about the cheery red ubiquitous bikes. Don't call it a complete guide to bikeshare. Call it Elevation DC's take on answering the bikeshare questions you (should) think hardest about.
The post includes more information on how they place new stations, where the busiest are, the most hidden, secret Bikeshare station, and the most creative use of two CaBis ever.
FULL STORY: Everything you've always wanted to know about bikeshare (but were afraid to ask)
Oregon Passes Exemption to Urban Growth Boundary
Cities have a one-time chance to acquire new land for development in a bid to increase housing supply and affordability.
Where Urban Design Is Headed in 2024
A forecast of likely trends in urban design and architecture.
Savannah: A City of Planning Contrasts
From a human-scales, plaza-anchored grid to suburban sprawl, the oldest planned city in the United States has seen wildly different development patterns.
Washington Tribes Receive Resilience Funding
The 28 grants support projects including relocation efforts as coastal communities face the growing impacts of climate change.
Adaptive Reuse Bills Introduced in California Assembly
The legislation would expand eligibility for economic incentives and let cities loosen regulations to allow for more building conversions.
LA's Top Parks, Ranked
TimeOut just released its list of the top 26 parks in the L.A. area, which is home to some of the best green spaces around.
City of Rochester
Boston Harbor Now
City of Bellevue
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Birmingham, Alabama
City of Laramie, Wyoming
Colorado Department of Local Affairs
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.