The Capital Bikeshare system's push into the suburbs of Maryland surged back from an initial slow start.
"Montgomery County’s Bikeshare program had about 35,000 trips in its first year, exceeding county expectations by almost 50 percent," reports Katherine Shaver for The Washington Post.
"County officials said they predicted the bike-sharing program would have 24,000 trips in its first year, which started in October 2013, but it was more popular than expected."
The high ridership numbers reverses the narrative from the first few months of operations for the system, when there were reports of low ridership numbers.
Andrew Metcalf also reports on the latest news for the Bethesda Beat. That article notes that not all stations are experiencing the same level of use: "the data does show significantly less use of Bikeshare stations in the Shady Grove and Rockville area compared to those in the Bethesda and Silver Spring Metro areas. The upcounty stations averaged about 700 trips per month from May to December 2014, while the downcounty stations logged an average of 3,612 trips per month during the same period."
Read the full story: Montgomery Bikeshare participation exceeds expectations
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
Chicago voters approve permanent festival grounds, penalty for vacant property owners
Currently, major summer and fall festivals take over public parks for weeks at a time, drawing criticism from nearby residents
NYC votes to cut outdoor dining red tape, speed up permitting
New York City also voted to allow the Department of Transportation to begin work on urgent projects before notifying elected officials.
California appears to reject Prop. 45
The proposition would have expanded the projects that qualify for a streamlined environmental review, effectively paring down the California Environmental Quality Act.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
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Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
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