Bike Share Membership for Low-Income Residents

About the city. Washington, D.C., ranks as one of the most congested metropolitan areas in the U.S., and single-car travels are one of the largest sources of emissions.

Goal

The aim of the project is to reduce the financial barriers to sustainable transportation.

Implementation period. The program was launched in 2016.

Fact

The cost of a one-way bus ride in Washington, D.C. is $1.75. The rideshare membership would save each user $638.75 over the course of a year if they used it to replace one bus ride a day.

Solutions

In 2016, Washington-based public bike-sharing program Capital Bikeshare launched its Community Partners Program, designed to put low-cost bike-share membership in the hands of those most in need of affordable transportation options.

The program offers reduced membership fees – $5 compared to the usual $85 – to community partners such as nonprofits, government agencies, and social service organizations to offer to their clients.

The Capital Bikeshare system already has 35,000 members and averages 250,000 rides a month. The city hopes that this new program will further increase the use of bicycles in the city.

The low-cost membership is accompanied by a free helmet, introduction to bike share and station use, and driving classes with the Washington Area Bicyclists Association. Since the membership is offered through partner organizations rather than directly to the consumer, it eliminates the need for potential members to have access to a credit card.

The Community program participants also receive an increase in ride time per ride from the usual 30 minutes to 60 minutes an advantage that will allow the bike share to actually serve as a viable transportation option for participants.

Starting from 2020, riders who apply to participate in the program can now register individually, rather than coordinate their actions with a community organization. In addition, Capital Bikeshare for All allows qualifying participants to:

• Unlock CaBi bikes with the mobile app, in addition to keychains
• Use more payment methods, including prepaid cards, credit and debit cards, or cash (only at personal check-in locations)
• Sign up online or in person at designated locations
• Ride bikes for 60 minutes at a time

Team

The city of Washington, D.C., District Department of Transportation (DDOT), involving Back on My Feet DC and the Shirlington Employment and Education Center, and a grant from the Better Bikeshare Partnership

Timeline

• 6 tons of CO2 offset through the entire Capital Bikeshare program per month.
• Since March 2016, DDOT has worked with community organizations to promote Capital Bikeshare as an affordable and sustainable transportation option for residents of underserved communities. In almost four years, the organization’s 1,700 members have made approximately 263,112 rides.

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