Bikesharing Coming To Rockville and Shady Grove Metro Stations

Have you ever gazed longingly at your DC colleague riding around town on one of those red bikes? Good news: Soon you will be able to do the same in suburbia.

Capital Bikeshare is coming to Rockville.

On Wednesday, the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board approved a $1.3 million grant for a bikesharing pilot program in Rockville.

The program will bring 200 bikes to 20 stations around Rockville. The pilot program aims to test whether bikesharing is feasible in a suburban environment.

“We are thrilled about partnering with Montgomery County on this project,”Rockville City Manager Scott Ullery said in a statement.  “Our growing network of biking infrastructure and access to three Metro stations makes Rockville the perfect place for a pilot.”

Capital Bikeshare, which currently operates in DC and Arlington, VA will run the program. Bike stations are proposed for the Rockville and Shady Grove Metro stations, Rockville Town Center, the Universities at Shady Grove, Johns Hopkins Montgomery County campus and Montgomery College's Rockville campus.

The program is one of eight regional projects funded by the Federal Transit Administration's Job Access Reverse Commute program, which is geared towards improving mobility options for low-income commuters.

Commuters who meet the program's guidelines for low-income residents will receive a one-year bikeshare membership, a free bike helmet and training on bike safety.

The blog Greater Greater Washington discussed what the program could mean for the region in a post yesterday. 

Through the JARC program, the Federal Transit Administration is providing $1.3 million for the project. Montgomery County is supplying an additional $488,000 and the City of Rockville is contributing $200,000.

The program is expected to begin next year, according to a statement from Montgomery County.