CaBi to DCA

Last week I rode Capital Bikeshare to National Airport, and while it was not as good as it could be, it still worked for me.

The plan was to get everything to the airport with our car, drive the car home and then for me to meet up with the family at the gate. This would be cheaper than parking at the airport and easier than trying to get 3 car seats onto Metro or into an Uber. I dropped Mrs. Washcycle, Trike and Tandem - along with all our luggage - at the terminal and then drove the car home.  We had built in a lot of extra time in case traffic was bad, which it wasn't. After driving to the airport and back I was 2/3 of the way into it, and way ahead of schedule so I decided to bike it instead of Uber. It didn't take too much longer on Capital Bikeshare.

From the station at 23rd and Crystal, I crossed Crystal and walked south along it and then up the airport access ramp to Airport Access Road. Once on airport property I followed the signs. 

Unfortunately there is no Capital Bikeshare station at DCA itself, but the station at 23rd and Crystal Drive in Arlington is only about a 10 minute walk from Terminal A (more like 14 to terminal B and C). It's about the same from the station at 26th and S. Clarke Street, which makes more sense if coming from the south. 

All things considered it worked pretty well for me. But....

1. It would really help if there were a couple of stations on airport property, preferably one at the old terminal and one at the new one. There is plenty of space, so that's not the issue. In 2012 MWCOG noted that "The MWAA Board has refused to have Capital Bikeshare on its property," but since then it seems they changed their tune. Last year, Arlington announced plans for a station there and reportedly MWAA was on board. Not sure what the hold up is. But it would good for visitors and employees. Perhaps Arlington can get a station moved closer to airport property, if not on it.
2. Until then, CaBi should advertise the close in stations as DCA access stations. They should add signs to them that designate them as such, including a walking map with a travel time estimate. And they should add this to both their website and DCA's.
3. Some wayfinding between the close-in stations and the terminals would help too. Not everyone writes a bike blog after all. That could be signs, trail blazes or a line pained on the ground. 

It won't work for everyone, but it could work for more people. 

Comments

[freewheel]

I agree with your 3 recommendations and would add that it also makes a lot of sense to have CaBi stations all along the Mt Vernon Trail, but especially at Gravelly Point and Daingerfield Island, ie, north and south of DCA

[contrarian]

When I used to travel on business a lot I would sometimes bike to DCA, it's very convenient. I have a carry-on bag that straps to my bike. But it always irked me that people arriving at DCA by bike or Metro can only enter at Terminal A, and have to walk to terminals B&C, while people arriving by car can park right next to their terminal.

[washcycle]

There is parking at terminals B & C, but it is at the Metro Station exit. It's not easy to get to/from, but I've done it before.

[Paul DeMaio]

Arlington County is actively working on siting a station here with the Airports Authority and plans to have a station near the terminus of the trail near new terminal and Metro. As it's private property, the County and Airports Authority are presently negotiating a license agreement to site the station.

The County's online station map shows where the station is to be sited (http://goo.gl/vq7RDX). The exact installation timing is uncertain at this point due to the legal process.

Paul DeMaio
Capital Bikeshare Manager
Arlington County