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District Department of Transportation

White House, DDOT, and Lyft Partner to Reinstall Capital Bikeshare Station on the White House Grounds

Thursday, September 30, 2021

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contacts

Mariam Nabizad (DDOT) – (202) 359-2678, [email protected]
 

White House, DDOT, and Lyft Partner to Reinstall Capital Bikeshare Station on the White House Grounds

Mayor Bowser Has Committed $19 Million for 80 New Capital Bikeshare Stations and 3,500 Ebikes

(WASHINGTON, DC) — 

The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) today announced that a familiar transportation option has returned to the White House grounds. Capital Bikeshare has reinstalled an 11-dock Buy America-compliant bikeshare station at the E Street NW and South Executive Avenue entrance of the White House campus. Originally installed in 2010 at the request of then-President Obama, the administration of former President Trump had it removed in 2017. The newly reinstalled station is exclusively available to those with access to the White House Grounds and will not be visible in the Capital Bikeshare or Lyft mobile applications. 

Capital Bikeshare, a partnership between the six-member jurisdictions and operated by Lyft, provides a socially distant and healthy way for people to get around the DC region. A recent study concluded that bikeshare systems in the United States save $36 million a year in healthcare costs. Bikes also play an important role in reducing traffic congestion and carbon emissions from the transportation sector. 

“We’re proud that Washington, DC is now one of the best cities in the nation for biking and that we have a growing population of people who bike to work – including the dedicated public servants who work at the White House. With more than 600 stations across the region, we know that Capital Bikeshare has played a critical role in making cycling more convenient and accessible for residents and workers who want a fast and affordable commuting option,” said Mayor Muriel Bowser. “And as DC’s Fair Shot Budget goes into effect, delivering new protected bike lanes and thousands more e-bikes, the return of this docking station is just one more example of how we can work together to build back better.”

The DC Council recently approved Mayor Bowser’s Fair Shot Budget, which included $19 million to add 80 new Capital Bikeshare stations and 3,500 electric bikes to the fleet. Under the plan, every DC resident will live within a quarter-mile of a bikeshare station. The plan also calls for DDOT to initiate a pilot program of adaptive bikes for people with disabilities. 

“Installing the Capital Bikeshare station back at the White House is an important symbol, setting an example for DC metro residents and people in cities around the country,” said Anthony Foxx, Chief Policy Officer at Lyft and former US Secretary of Transportation. “As summer turns to fall and we start seeing children returning to school, more people going back to the office and events, it’s important that we encourage them to use sustainable transportation modes that both reduce traffic and carbon emissions like bikeshare, buses, and rail.”

As one of the oldest and most successful bike-sharing programs in the United States, Capital Bikeshare has recently experienced a boom in ridership as the region continues to reopen. Capital Bikeshare ridership is up 30 percent in 2021 compared to the same time in 2020, with single trip fares and day pass ridership up 92 percent year-over-year, suggesting thousands of new riders are trying bikeshare for the first time.

Bikeshare stations provide predictability to riders and create significant economic benefits. On average, one job is created for every 2.5 bikeshare stations installed. The majority of bikeshare workers are unionized with good wages and benefits, and many workers come from underrepresented communities. 

The average household in the United States spends approximately $9,000 a year on transportation. The Capital Bikeshare for All program allows those who qualify for certain state or federal assistance programs to sign up individually, in addition to being able to join through a Community Partner for just $5 annually. In addition, the Bicycle Commuter Act, currently being considered by Congress, would reinstate pre-tax benefits that allow commuters to deduct up to $81 monthly in bicycle expenses and would add bikeshare to the benefit, creating an affordability incentive for those not eligible for the reduced fare program.

“I am thrilled with today’s announcement that Capital Bikeshare will be returning to the White House grounds. This decision provides an important recognition of the value of bike commuting in every single workplace,” said Congressman Earl Blumenauer (OR-03). “With employees returning to the workplace and the realities of the climate crisis playing out before us every day, it is all the more important that Congress passes my Bicycle Commuter Act to reinstate and improve the bicycle commuter benefit for individuals in communities large and small.”

Capital Bikeshare, Lyft, and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (Metro) partnered to incentivize riders to use clean transportation options. Metrobus and Metrorail riders who purchase a virtual SmarTrip card or transfer their physical, plastic SmarTrip card to mobile pay on Android, iPhone, or Apple Watch will receive ten 30-minute classic rides on Capital Bikeshare when they opt in to the program on WMATA’s website. The promotion runs through December 2022.

"I'm pleased Capital Bikeshare is returning to the White House," Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC),  said. "Biking is a sustainable, climate-friendly, socially distant mode of transportation that should be available to all in D.C., including those who work at the White House."

"Life is better for everyone when more people ride bikes, and building out bikeshare networks is a critical piece of making biking better and more accessible to more people," said Bill Nesper, Executive Director of the League of American Bicyclists. "We're thrilled to see Capital Bikeshare return to the White House grounds and we appreciate the leadership by example set by the Biden Administration. With Congress moving to reinstate the Bicycle Commuter Benefit, we look forward to more Americans enjoying the economic and health benefits of biking to work — even to cabinet meetings at the White House."

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About DDOT

The District Department of Transportation's mission is to equitably deliver a safe, sustainable, and reliable multimodal transportation network for all residents and visitors of the District of Columbia.  

Follow us on Twitter for transportation-related updates and more; like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram. Visit the website at ddot.dc.gov. Visit goDCgo.com for more information on transportation options in the District.

About Capital Bikeshare

Capital Bikeshare is Metro DC’s bikeshare system, with more than 5000 bikes available at over 650 stations regionwide. The system was founded in September 2010 and provides residents and visitors with a convenient, fun, and affordable transportation option. Capital Bikeshare operates across seven jurisdictions: Washington, DC; Arlington County, the City of Alexandria, Fairfax County, and the City of Falls Church in Virginia; and Montgomery County and Prince George’s County in Maryland.

About Lyft

Lyft was founded in 2012 by Logan Green and John Zimmer to improve people’s lives with the world’s best transportation and is available to 95 percent of the United States population as well as select cities in Canada. Lyft is committed to effecting positive change for our cities and making cities more livable for everyone through initiatives that bridge transportation gaps, and by promoting transportation equity through shared rides, bikeshare systems, electric scooters, and public transit partnerships.