News Brief

Bike Sharing Comes to the U.S.

by Allyson Wendt

Members of the SmartBike program in Washington can pick up a bike at a rental station like this one and use it for up to three hours.

Photo: Jonathan Smith
SmartBike, a bike-sharing program owned by Clear Channel Outdoor, has been available in Europe since its start in Rennes, France, in 1998. Having spread to ten European cities, the program is now making its U.S. debut in Washington, D.C., with 120 bicycles available in ten locations in the downtown area.

The program, a partnership between the city’s Department of Transportation and SmartBike, is membership based: users pay an annual fee of $40 to obtain a membership card that allows them to unlock bikes, which they can use for up to three hours at a time and return to any location.

Several other U.S. cities, including San Francisco and Philadelphia, are considering similar programs. More information is available at www.smartbikedc.com.

Published June 27, 2008

Wendt, A. (2008, June 27). Bike Sharing Comes to the U.S.. Retrieved from https://www.buildinggreen.com/newsbrief/bike-sharing-comes-us

Add new comment

To post a comment, you need to register for a BuildingGreen Basic membership (free) or login to your existing profile.

Volume 17, Issue 7