Photo by DDOTDC.

On this day last year, District officials launched Capital Bikeshare, an initiative premised on an elementary concept — people sharing bikes. A full 365 days later, and there’s little doubt that not only has Bikeshare been a smashing success, but it has also served as proof that bike-sharing need not remain an exclusively European venture. (Welcome to the party, New York!)

The red bikes may look a bit goofy and be a little heavy, but that there are so many of them spread out across the District and Arlington — over 1,100 bikes in 116 stations serving over 16,000 annual members — has made them an integral part of the region’s transit network. No longer are long distances between Metro stations or bus lines a challenge; the bikes have even proven a vital component of moving around the city during an emergency. The system, which was a massive improvement over the city’s initial Smart Bike program, has also helped ease the District’s otherwise rocky transition towards being bike-friendly.

An official birthday celebration for Capital Bikeshare will take place on September 22 at Yards Park, and yes, there will be moonbounces. And just in time for its birthday, Bikeshare hit 1 million rides early this morning.