Politics & Government

Alexandria to Double its Capital Bikeshare Station Network this Winter

The Capital Bikeshare network in Alexandria has seen a 72 percent cost recovery in its first year, far exceeding initial projections.

Five new Capital Bikeshare stations will be installed in northeast Alexandria this winter. Their locations are indicated in the map above. The exact locations of three stations in the Carlyle section of Alexandria are to be determined. 

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Four Capital Bikeshare stations will be installed in Alexandria’s Del Ray neighborhood this winter and the locations will not require the removal of any street parking.

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Carrie Sanders, a bicycle and pedestrian program coordinator with the city, said the locations were determined through crowd sourcing and input offered during multiple community meetings.

Alexandria will be doubling its Bikeshare station network this winter with the addition of eight stations in Del Ray, Carlyle and Slaters Lane.

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The exact site of all the stations has yet to be determined, Sanders said, but the four Del Ray stations are pretty much squared away. They include:

  • 2213 Mount Vernon Ave. — This station will be installed in the loading zone in front of Bean Creative across the street from Del Ray Pizzeria. “It’s in the heart of Del Ray,” Sanders said. “We’re excited about that.”
  • 501 E. Monroe Ave. — This station will be installed on the north side of the intersection of E. Monroe and Leslie Avenues, across the street from Swing’s Coffee and adjacent to Simpson Stadium Park. E. Monroe Avenue is slated for bike facilities improvements, including the installation of bike lanes with no net loss of parking. 
  • 1504 Mount Vernon Ave. — This station, which will be a little smaller than the others that will be installed in Del Ray, will be installed on the sidewalk in front of Al’s Steak House.
  • Intersection of Commonwealth and Mount Vernon avenues — The exact siting is to be determined, Sanders said, as to accommodate the solar-powered station.

The city will install a smaller station in the no-parking area on Potomac Greens Drive near Buzz Bakery, Sanders said. The exact locations of three Carlyle stations are to be determined.

During a presentation before City Council last week, Sanders said there have been more than 20,000 Bikeshare trips in Alexandria since its launch. An annual member survey revealed a reduction in vehicle miles and personal travel costs in the city as a result of Capital Bikeshare, Sanders said.

The program has yielded a 72 percent cost recovery in Alexandria, far exceeding the 30 percent projection that was initially suggested.

“The cost recovery is pretty impressive for any transit system of any type,” Councilman Justin Wilson said. “Whether its 70 or 100, it’s enormously impressive given what we’re doing here.”

The DASH bus system in Alexandria has roughly a 30 percent cost-recovery rate. 

Sanders said Arlington County saw its cost recovery dip from 65 percent to 61 percent as it has expanded its network beyond the Metro lines. The District’s system, vastly different than Alexandria’s network, is typically close to full recovery.

Residents have requested new stations in South Old Town and North Old Town as well as Potomac Yard. The city has identified continued expansion of the program in its capital improvement plan.

Vice Mayor Allison Silberberg, who said she was impressed by the success of the program, asked that vehicle parking spaces not be removed to accommodate new stations.

Mayor Bill Euille disagreed. 

“What we’re trying to do is get people out of their cars and using other modes of transportation,” Euille said. “So there’s nothing wrong about putting these bike stations in places where there are currently parking spaces because that’s the message we want people to send. We don’t want people driving their cars and parking, we want people to be using bicycles and walking.”


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