Tuesday Morning Commute - We're Number 2

With New York City's bike share program now open for business, the DC area now has the nation's second largest bike-share system. But still, the largest south of the Mason-Dixon line (We're #1)

• Last week, Capital Business had a cover story on the opeartion of Capital Bikeshare. A lot of it is well-worn territory, with the only surprise being a negative comment from Simon Pak, a manager of the Bike Rack. “Since Capital Bikeshare started, any incident [I’ve witnessed] in bike-to-bike collisions have been with Capital Bikeshare riders. They’re the most inexperienced riders emulating more experienced riders,” he said. “I can’t say it’s been great,” Pak said, though he mentioned that about one in 10 customers come into the store looking for a sleeker alternative to the heavier bikes Capital Bikeshare provides. But also
  • After installation, stations require on average about $24,000 a year for maintenance — redistributing bikes from station to station, operating a call center and Web hosting. Since 2012, each station generally brings in about $20,000 in revenue, Holben said, though at its peak, when Capital Bikeshare offered a deal through LivingSocial, they were bringing in about $23,000.
  • In Arlington, the system in total brought in about $411,000 in revenue in 2012 — more than twice as much as it did in 2011. Its total costs were $643,000, meaning it recovered about 64 percent of the expense.
• The first comment in the above story prompted a response from David Alpert
• Sustainable DC. "In other words, Gray told me afterward, the future of city travel is about sharing routes safely. Look for more bus routes, streetcars, bike lanes and devices such as the pedestrian signal, which can make walking safer and more popular without infringing on people’s ability to drive autos...Many motorists suspect that the bike lanes are part of a broader effort to squeeze them off the roads."
• Bike racks enhancing Hyattsville have been making a positive impact for pedestrian safety and travelers, according to community data and investigation.
• I forgot who sent me the photo of the snake found on the CCT, but there it is. 

Comments

[SJE]

Welcome back. That was my photo: a black rat snake on the CCT. It looks bigger than it is, as it is flexing its muscles. I was just trying to take it off the trail.

[Rob F]

Wowza! where on the trail was that taken?

[Anna]

CRAZY!

[SJE]

East of Jones Bridge/Jones Mill (which you can see in the distance). I see lots of wildlife.

[Crickey7]

You da man.

[Fred]

Wash back!

[Purple Eagle]

I saw a very similar-looking snake in Greenbelt Park last weekend. Almost stepped on it while running.