Capital Bikeshare’s original electric bikes were taken offline last year after reports of braking issues.

District Department of Transportation

Starting Wednesday, Capital Bikeshare will once again offer electric bikes across the D.C. area, after they were pulled from local streets in spring 2019 due to reports of braking issues.

This time the bikes will be dockless, meaning they can be parked at “docking stations for free, and also at public bike racks using a built-in cable lock for an additional out-of-station fee,” the District Department of Transportation says in a release.

The return of the electric bikes, which can travel up to 18 mph, was first teased in February when DDOT said 1,500 electric bikes with upgraded pedal-assist technology would become available later in the year.

Unlike Capital Bikeshare’s traditional red bikes, the electric bikes are black. The system is run by Lyft, and the electric bikes cost $1 to unlock. It will cost an additional $1 to park the electric bikes at public bike racks, according to DDOT. (Riders may incur fines for improperly parking the bikes on trees or accessibility ramps, for example.)

As for COVID-19 precautions, DDOT says the bikeshare system “disinfects all high-contact surfaces on bikes each time they arrive in the depot.” “Staff wear gloves and face coverings when handling bikes in the depot and at valet stations,” the agency continues. “High-contact surfaces on vans used to transport vehicles are also disinfected at the start of each shift.” (DDOT did not include information about precautions at public bike racks in the release.)

In a statement Tuesday, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said Capital Bikeshare was a “cornerstone of our transportation infrastructure.” People who are enrolled in the system’s Capital Bikeshare for All program, which is open to those who qualify for local or federal government assistance, won’t have to pay extra fees for the electric bikes in 2020.

Capital Bikeshare currently operates more than 5,000 bikes and over 600 stations in the District, Arlington, Alexandria, Fairfax County, Falls Church, Montgomery County, and Prince George’s County.

Filed Under: capital bikeshare, coronavirus, ddot, district department of transportation, electric bikes, transportation,