TheWashCycle

Bike and Roll DC offers $49 commuter special for workweek bike rentals

I'd love to see the stats on how many people take them up on this. More options are a good thing.

Bike and Roll DC (www.bikeandrolldc.com) announced the offering of a Commuter Special that will include a $49 workweek bike rental for those impacted by WMATA’s SafeTrack program.  Bikes can be picked up from Bike and Roll’s Union Station location on Sunday evening or Monday morning and must be returned before 7:00 PM on Friday of the same week.  Locks are included with all rentals and helmets are available to rent for an additional $5 fee.  Commuter Special reservations can be made online at http://bit.ly/CommuterSpecialBikeRental and availability may be limited based on inventory.  

 

“As the largest bike rental company in Washington, DC, we felt a need to offer local residents an alternative transportation option in the wake of metrorail delays that will occur during SafeTrack implementation,” said Stephen Marks, Managing Member of Bike and Roll DC.  “We wanted to offer a pricepoint comparable to what the average commuter spends on a weekly basis and are hoping, as an added bonus, we can add some new members to the #BikeDC tribe!”

 

Residents of Washington, DC, Maryland and Virginia who work in areas impacted by SafeTrack can begin making Commuter Special reservations online this week. The weekly rate will be effective beginning the week of June 12th.  Reservations are valid from Monday through Friday only; for those interested in renting a bike for multiple weeks, a separate reservation must be made for each week.  The Commuter Special rate is not valid on Saturday and Sunday; the standard daily rental rate of $40 is available for those interested in keeping a bike over the weekend.    

 

Bike and Roll DC is also offering commuters 10% off all bicycle repair services throughout SafeTrack implementation.  Bike and Roll’s service center, located at Union Station adjacent to 1st Street NE, offers a full suite of bicycle repair services—in addition to a fast turn-around time, high level of customer service, and the most competitive pricing in the city.  For more information on bicycle service, please visit www.bikeandrolldc.com/repairs.  

Bike and Roll belongs on the Mall

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?