DC: Capital Bikeshare set a record Saturday — and is embarking upon a major expansion

from the WaPo:



By Tim Craig, Published: April 2




The Washington region’s Capital Bikeshare program set a ridership record Saturday, and the District is gearing up to restart a major expansion that should greatly increase the numbers of stations and red bikes on city streets.

With throngs of tourists in town for the Easter holiday, there were a record 9,669 Capital Bikeshare rides Saturday. And for the first time since its inception three years ago, the majority of those rides were taken by day-trippers instead of annual members, said Chris Holben, director of the D.C. Department of Transportation bicycle program.

The milestone underscores how rapidly Capital Bikeshare has become a key transportation option downtown and around the Mall.

“As you can imagine, Cherry Blossom weekend, the most beautiful day of spring, a lot of out-of-towners are using the system,” Holben said. ..................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/capital-bikeshare-restarts-expansion-plans/2013/04/02/3c2f2acc-9bc8-11e2-a941-a19bce7af755_story.html