June 30, 2008
SmartBike DC: Just Teasing Us Now
What's this? A rack full of SmartBike DC's shared bicycles all loaded up in front of the Reeves Center at 14th and U NW? Yes, but don't get excited: this was only for a photo op staged by the District Department of Transportation that we just happened to stumble upon earlier this afternoon (yo DDOT, how's about inviting us next time so we don't have to party crash?). These SmartBikes are going to be carted away and packed up again once they're done.
But, but, but, you say, when DCist talked to DDOT's Manager for Bicycle, Pedestrian, and Transportation Demand Management Programs, Jim Sebastian, in the middle of May, he told us the pilot program for the city's bicycle sharing service would be up and running at the beginning of June, and here we are, on the last day of June, and it's still not open for business? That's exactly right. Late last week Sebastian emailed to let us know that delays due to Pepco still working on getting electricity installed in all of the bike racks mean that SmartBike won't actually be operational until August 1 at the earliest, "but no guarantees." Seven out of the ten pilot racks are installed and operational, but three more still need to be completed.
Jim was out there today for the photo shoot, too, and reiterated the August launch. Is this a case of Blame Pepco?
"They're doing their jobs," Sebastian said. "Are they making us a priority? No. But they're doing their jobs."
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Hello-o, "Jim was out there today for the photo shoot too"? And you didn't take HIS picture?! Must I remind you of my dork-crush on the DC Government's hottest employee?
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jen209, I think he's there in the background someplace, but I can't really tell which one he is. Sorry to have failed you :(
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I don’t think starting this thing up, during the most swampy-ass month of the year, is a good idea; wait till September when we stop dripping.
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I hope they put in a work order now with Pepco for the next set of racks.
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Jim's the one in the yellow shirt waaaay in the back left of the photo.
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At the SmartBike location at 7th and F Streets, you can see where they're going to dig up the perfectly good sidewalk in order to bring electrical power to the bike rack. Why aren't they using some kind of small solar panels for the minimal amount of electricity these things will use? If the program is a failure, will we have yet more ugly trenches left all over the city?
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I don't even see a yellow shirt! Disappointment!
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This picture got my hopes up until I actually read the story. Oh, DCist, you mock me along with DDOT.
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sommer: this is totally pepco's M.O. they couldn't move quickly with category 5 winds at their back. the whole reason the interim shaw library took forever to get up and running was because it took pepco months to simply run the equivalent of an extension cord to that double-wide sitting in front of shaw middle school.
and don't get me started on how pepco has been the reason for the hold-up on getting the metropolitan branch trail moving forward.
pepco is holding this city's bikers back, plain and simple.
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Looks like a PeeWee Herman wet dream to me!
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It'll be up in time for Christmas—when no one wants to ride bikes 'cause it's too cold. Geez.
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http://j-walkblog.com/images/peeweebike.JPG
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Those bikes need handlebar streamers and a playing card in the spokes to make them beyond awesome. And yes, they probably will be available just in time for the first big ice storm.
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I heard the basement of the Alamo has a SmartBike rack; confirm/deny?
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You can actually sign up for the card on the website now. I didn't try though because I haven't heard of any announcement saying it's ready, but there is a space to enter your credit card info and request a card. www.smartbikedc.com