Leggett Announces Availability of First Montgomery County Bikeshare Stations; Program is First Bikeshare in Maryland

New Capital Bikeshare Station in Rockville

On September 27, Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett celebrated the grand opening of the County’s Bikeshare Network, launching the first installment of 51 Bikeshare stations and 450 bikes in Bethesda, Friendship Heights, Silver Spring, Takoma Park, Rockville, Shady Grove and the Life Sciences Center area. Montgomery County’s Bikeshare program is the first year-round system in Maryland and is part of the regional Capital Bikeshare network, linking the County with the District of Columbia, Arlington and Alexandria’s Bikeshare systems.


County Executive Ike Leggett at grand opening of County's 
Bikeshare Network

Leggett made the announcement in Rockville at one of the 21 stations in the Rockville, Shady Grove and the Life Sciences area designed to encourage low income reverse commuters and job trainees. Those who qualify will receive a free, one-year membership in Capital Bikeshare that will enable them to use any Bikeshare station in Montgomery County, as well as receive a free bike helmet, safety training and route planning assistance.

Bikesharing provides short-term bicycle rentals at self-service, automated, solar-powered docking stations sited at publicly accessible locations. Bikes may be picked up at one location and returned to another, creating a system that allows for one-way trips. Bikeshare is considered ideal for short trips of less than five miles. Trips under 30 minutes are included in the membership fee, while longer trips are charged based on their duration.

Membership options cost $75 a year, $25 a month, $15 for three days and $7 for one day. Yearly and monthly memberships can be purchased online or by phone, while the three-day and one-day memberships can be purchased with a credit card at any Capital Bikeshare station.  Also, free bike safety classes are being offered: click here for more information.

Over the next few weeks, the remaining Montgomery County stations will open. More information and a map showing installed stations in the County is available at www.montgomerycountymd.gov/bikeshare.  Visit www.capitalbikeshare.com  for more information on the entire regional system. For information on eligibility for free Bikeshare memberships and JARC program benefits, contact Montgomery County Commuter Services at 240-777-8380 or mcdot.CommuterServices@montgomerycountymd.gov.


MCDOT Director Arthur Holmes, Jr. and 
County Team with the new bikes

Read the full press release here: http://www6.montgomerycountymd.gov/apps/News/press/PR_details.asp?PrID=12876 

To read the County Council's press release, click here.  

Click here to view a video about the bikeshare system launch.  

Silver Spring Jazz Festival and Taste of Bethesda Attendees Pledge for Pedestrian Safety

The Pedestrian and Driver Pledge Crosswalk

At the Silver Spring Jazz Festival on September 7 and the Taste of Bethesda on October 5, over 200 people pledged to make Montgomery County safer for pedestrians. Kids and adults chose to make either the driver or the pedestrian pledge.

Participants of all ages made the pledge

Drivers pledged to:

• Stop for pedestrians in crosswalks
• Obey all traffic signals and signs
• Watch for pedestrians while turning
• Drive at the speed limit
• Drive without texting or talking on the phone

Pedestrians pledged to:

• Always use crosswalks
• Cross with the "walk" symbol
• Wear bright at night
• Make eye contact with drivers
• Walk without texting
• Look for cars in all directions before crossing

Participants decorated a foot for the pedestrian pledge, or eyes for the driver pledge and added them to the crosswalk. The completed crosswalk shows how engaged and dedicated our residents are to increasing safety on our roads.

Teens Continue to be at Risk Crossing Streets while Texting

High school students can't put their phones down, even when crossing a dangerous street. A new study quantifies just how often kids walk while distracted by technology. According to Safe Kids Worldwide,one in five high school students and one in eight middle school students cross the street while doing something with a digital device.

Pedestrian injuries among teenagers in particular have been on the rise, increasing 25% in the last five years in the 16-19 year-old age group. Crossing streets while staring at a screen is one suggested reason. Listening to music and texting were the top distractions. Thirty-nine percent of the students who were crossing the street while distracted were typing on a cell phone and another 39% were listening to headphones. Girls were a little more likely to walk distracted than boys but only just barely.
(Source: WNYC.org, August 29, 2013 as cited in the NETS eNewsletter, September, 2013. To see the full article, go to the WNYC website.)