(Washington, DC) – The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) and Arlington County have selected “Capital Bikeshare” as the name for the new regional bike sharing program. Capital Bikeshare will launch later this year with roughly 1100 bikes at 114 stations in the District and Arlington, and will be the largest of its kind in the US.

After announcing their partnership last month, DDOT and BikeArlington asked the public to participate in a survey to help brand the new bike sharing program. 1164 people voted for their first, second and third choices and Capital Bikeshare received the most total votes:

“We want to thank everyone who voted and helped us make this difficult decision,” said DDOT Transportation Planner Jim Sebastian. “Capital Bikeshare has broader appeal than some of the other choices, and it’s more descriptive, which could help attract more riders and make the service even more successful.”

Building on the success of DDOT’s SmartBikeDC program, launched in 2008 and concentrated in the downtown DC area, Capital Bikeshare will now make it possible for residents and visitors to conveniently pick up a bike and traverse throughout all 8 wards in the city and Arlington. With 100 stations in DC and 14 in Arlington the bike share program will now become a true regional transportation system. Plans are already underway to expand the network further in Virginia as well as Maryland.

The new system will be similar to the one the Public Bike System Company (PBSC), based in Montreal, produced, commonly known as BIXI. The BIXI system has been running in Montreal since 2009 and will be arriving soon in Minneapolis, London, and Melbourne, Australia. BIXI bike sharing stations are solar powered and use wireless technology to allow for easy installation and adjustments. It may look different, but the BIXI bicycle has many of the same features as the Smartbike: 3-speed, internal hub gears, fenders, chain guard, lights, and a front rack. Annual, monthly, and daily memberships will be available for area residents and visitors.

Alta Bicycle Share will operate the system. Alta Bicycle Share is a US-based company focused on management and operation of bicycle share systems globally. Its sister company, Alta Planning + Design, is the largest bicycle and pedestrian consulting company in the United States. Alta Bicycle Share is implementing or consulting on similar programs in Australia, Europe, China, and other locations in the United States.

Visit the following websites for more information on the partners and their bike programs or products mentioned in this release:

• DDOT www.ddot.dc.gov
• BikeArlington www.bikearlington.com
• Public Bike System Company – BIXI System www.bixisystem.com
• Alta Bicycle Share Company www.altabicycleshare.com