Bike Sharing Comes to Maryland
By David T. Whitaker, AICP, Smart Growth Maryland Need to get from Federal Hill to Fells Point or Canton — too far to walk, too much traffic, on Pratt Street, expensive parking — soon a new option — bike share. Grab a bike in Federal Hill, drop it off in Canton. And with bike lanes, get there quicker than a car.
As Maryland communities move to enhance urban-style, walkable downtowns, local officials in parts of Maryland are now adding bikeshare programs adding a new transportation choice for residents and visitors. Rockville is joining Washington, DC’s popular and highly successful Capital Bikeshare program this summer. Very soon the distinctive red Capital Bikeshare bicycles may also be found in the inner beltway communities of Bethesda, Silver Spring, Friendship Heights, and Takoma Park. College Park, White Flint, Greenbelt, and Frederick are studying whether bike share programs could also be successful in their communities.
Not to be outdone by the national allure of Potomac River jurisdictions to the south, Baltimore City is currently planning to introduce its own “B-Cycle” bike share system very soon to the streets of Charm City.
Bike share along the Patapsco River? Where will it be coming next?
Columbia and Annapolis are also examining the feasibility of bike share to provide better and faster travel connections from downtown to nearby neighborhoods and businesses. Local governments are now realizing that local travel provided by a bike share system can be a faster mode of travel than personal auto, walking or transit. How did this happen?
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