It has been a long, at times bumpy, road to Bikeshare coming to Tysons but today is the official launch. The alternative transportation option which has become more popular in the Washington metro area than any other location in the country per capita is now operating 14 stations in Tysons.
Here is a primer for those who have never used Bikeshare before.
- Bikeshare is great for one time needs and for daily users. If you are unlikely to use it more than a couple times a month it makes sense to stick with a 24 hour, or a one way, pass; $8 and $2 respectively. If you end up using Capital Bike share more than 1 time a month, you should get an annual membership at $85. It also saves time having a membership because you receive a key fob that helps check out the bikes without the kiosk.
- With a Bikeshare pass you can ride up to 30 minutes at a time for no additional charge. After that time you are charged on a time basis. If you need to use a bike for longer than that amount of time, you can dock the bike and undock a bike to restart another 30 minutes (unless you got the one way pass).
- Bikeshare is a great option when you are in a location a bit too far to walk, that’s why it could be a really great option if you work on the Jones Branch corridor which is a mile away or more from the closest metro. It also is great to get to metro, for instance from the Avalon area of North Central Tysons to Tysons Corner metro station.
- You should use a Bikeshare map app. This will tell you whether a bike is available for you near by and whether where you are going has docks open. It’s not clear which apps will update to include Reston and Tysons at this time. Spotcycle is the official Bikeshare app, so it will likely be updated immediately. Other apps like D.C. Bikes might not.
- Helmets are not provided, so you should bring one along. Helmets save lives, and in a transitional infrastructure area like we have in Tysons it is important to keep safety in mind. Don’t forget we are also heading into the darker months of the year, so bright clothes with reflective elements can really help. Bikeshare bikes do have a pedal powered light that works pretty good too, but don’t depend on it.
If you have never ridden Bikeshare, give it a shot this weekend or next week, the great thing is with a pass or membership you can use any of the systems stations, and it really is a time saver and fun too. Send us your photos, we’d love them for the archives.
