Capital Bikeshare has bounced back from a COVID ridership dip, but members of the Arlington County Transportation Commission think its growth could be even more substantial if a family-friendly policy were implemented.
Currently, no one under 16 is permitted to use a bike in any form under the regional program (those from 16 to 18 must have permission from a parent or guardian). That restriction stymies options for riders and expansion opportunities, several Transportation Commission members said.
They focused comments on family outings, where young children could be under the supervision of adults.
“Having a 3-year-old, there are times this might have been a great opportunity,” commission member Thomas Shannon said at the body’s June 29 meeting.
Allowing young family members to travel together, such as through child seats at the back of bikes, “would be a game-changer,” commission chair Chris Slatt added.
Not having such an option is emblematic of challenges parents have in accessing public-transit options, he said.
“It’s a theme I hear over and over again talking to people: Arlington has really great options to let you be car-light or car-free, until you have children, and then all of them cease to be useful,” Slatt said.
Tom Hillman, Arlington’s Capital Bikeshare manager in the Department of Environmental Services, said he would take those suggestions back to the powers that be. But Shannon may have hit upon the stumbling block, noting that liability issues could be the holdup.
At the meeting, Hillman reported that, in Arlington, Capital Bikeshare “ridership has fully rebounded” from COVID times and now stands 40 percent higher than in December 2019.
The same growth spurt has taken place regionally – the 428,000 trips taken in May supplanted July 2017 as the all-time ridership record, he said.
Participating Capital Bikeshare localities in the springtime began deploying 700 electronic bikes to supplement people-powered version. Thus far, more than 34,000 rides have been taken on the e-bikes, working out to an average 4.7 trips per bike per day, a usage rate higher than for the traditional bicycles.
“A banner year so far,” Hillman said of usage.
