Photo by Glyn Lowe Photos

It was two years ago today that Capital Bikeshare launched in the region, and the network has continued growing by leaps and bounds in its second year.

During its first anniversary celebration last year, Capital Bikeshare included 1,100 bikes at 116 stations—and its 16,000 annual and monthly members had just logged a million rides. In the year since, the number of bikes, stations, members, and rides have increased to 1,670, 189, 18,220, and over 1.8 million, respectively. Alexandria just inaugurated its first stations in the last two weeks, and this summer the first stations on the National Mall appeared. It’s only a matter of time until more of the Maryland suburbs get in on the action.

We’ve learned that you can race on one of the big red bikes, that they spark violence in the Middle East, that you can save plenty of money by using them, and that some people see them as “broken-down socialism.”

Happy Birthday, Capital Bikeshare!

Bike Share