D.C.'s Bike Shares: A Capital Idea

D.C.’s bike-sharing program has spawned 2 million rides—and pays for itself

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By Meghan Walsh

August 24, 2012 at 1:39 AM UTC

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This article is part of the August 27, 2012 issue of businessweek.

They’re not stylish. But they seem to be everywhere in Washington. Even actor Owen Wilson has been spied riding one of the 47-pound, fire-engine-red bikes.

Since September 2010, Capital Bikeshare has dispersed more than 1,500 bikes for rent across the city. And residents are demanding even more as they use the two-wheelers to commute to work, run errands, or, as in Wilson’s case, cruise to a Sunday brunch. Alta Bicycle Share, the Portland (Ore.) company that was awarded the contract to run the program, has installed 165 solar-powered docking stations throughout the District and Arlington, Va., where anyone can check out a bike. The first 30 minutes are free, and then an hourly fee of $7 kicks in. Most people opt for the $75 annual membership.