Recently the Donald was in town to unveil his planned redesign for the Old Post Office Pavilion. One part of this is of particular interest to cyclists
For the crumbling and vacant rear annex, part of a failed redevelopment attempt in the 1980s, the Trumps have planned what Ivanka Trump said would be the largest ballroom in Washington
Except that in part of that rear annex - on both the outside and in an old restaurant (the bar is even still there) - Bike and Roll (aka "Bike the Sites) currently operates their "National Mall" facility. Which means they're in search of a new home.
It's not going to be easy for them to find a location with such close proximity to the National Mall at such an affordable rate, and the real shame is that they shouldn't have to. The place for their (or some other concessionaire's) bike rental facility is on the Mall itself.
The National Mall has a long history of providing bike rentals.
In the 1930s and 1940s, the Naitonal Park Service operated a bicycle rental service near the Tidal Basin Boat House. Starting in 1942, bicycles were rationed items, making it difficult to buy one. Washington residents and war office workers could rent a bicycle to ride on the paths along the Mall. A trip around Hains Point in East Potomac Park was especially popular.
There was also a gas station on Easy Potomac Park that rented bikes and I know I've seen an old map of the National Mall that shows bicycle rentals at the Park Headquarters building on East Potomac Park.
In addition, bike rentals on the Mall is something that NPS wants in its future. The recently completed National Mall Plan suggested bike rentals at Pershing Park, Union Square and/or the Survey Lodge. Why not make space for Bike and Roll at one of those locations? The obvious answer is that
The NPS has a contractual agreement with Guest Services, Inc., for bike rental services, with Guest Services, Inc. having the right of first refusal for any new or additional services.
They currently rent bikes at Fletcher's Boat House, the Washington Sailing Marina and Thompson's Boat Center, but it's unclear if expanding this service is something they're even interested in. And, because they rent primarily cruisers and some children's bikes, they don't really do the same thing that Bike and Roll does.
Advocates of better Mall transportation and options have butted heads with NPS on their exclusive contracts before, and the question for NPS is which serves it's visitors better - having Bike and Roll on the Mall or somewhere several blocks away?
Only slightly related, but I've been seeing A LOT of bikes from Kimpton Hotels lately, they are rose-colored 3-speed city bikes, and I probably saw half a dozen in a brief run to the capitol this past weekend, as well as routine sightings in the monumental core bike facilities.
While I'm for a rental outfit on the mall, simply having more bikes available at more places will likely achieve the same goal. Kimpton clearly believes it is a competitive advantage to have bikes available to guests, and more hotels and workplaces should follow-suit.
Posted by: Will | September 17, 2013 at 10:06 AM
To 'celebrate' the Donald, we should all wear giant ginger toupees instead of helmets.
Posted by: SJE | September 17, 2013 at 11:07 AM
I'm confused -- aren't there numerous Cap Bike Share stations around the mall? Do they not serve that need?
Posted by: kbikeva | September 17, 2013 at 01:07 PM
There are, but they don't. They don't have trailers for kids, or rent to people under 16. You have to worry about overage fees. And Bike and Roll specifically tailors itself to tourists. If CaBi was complete competition to B&R, B&R would probably already be out of business.
Posted by: washcycle | September 17, 2013 at 01:16 PM
Part of this post was quoted in Express this morning!
Posted by: Purple Eagle | September 18, 2013 at 09:08 AM
As a family, we could not have completed the "bike the sites" itinerary without the skill of the Bike and Roll staff. Not only do they provide appropriate sized bikes for all, they also provide helmets (which the Bike Share does not). In addition, we very much appreciated and enjoyed the brief commentary that we got at each memorial as we completed through the tour.
Posted by: Angela Radakovich | September 18, 2013 at 03:07 PM
Biking along the Mall is a fantastic idea but not without cycle specific trails. Combining the large number of peds with cyclists is annoying and often dangerous. I wish NPS would carve out bike routes along the Mall.
Posted by: Kathy | September 19, 2013 at 10:18 PM