More details emerge on Capital Bikeshare
Fairfax County offered more details on the Capital Bikeshare stations coming to the Mason and Braddock districts at a virtual community meeting on Aug. 22.
The Fairfax County Department of Transportation is planning to add 16 Capital Bikeshare docking stations to Annandale, Seven Corners, and Bailey’s Crossroads, but they won’t be installed until late 2025 or 2026, said transportation planner Hannah Cacner.
Some of the stations will be located in two repurposed parking spaces. Others will be in existing no-parking zones.
FCDOT is planning to install Capital Bikeshare stations at these locations:
Annandale
- Heritage Drive and Rectory Drive
- Ravensworth Drive and Jayhawk Drive
- Daniels Avenue and Poplar Street – close to Eileen Garnett Civic Space
- Little River Turnpike and Annandale Road – to be installed on the sidewalk
- Little River Turnpike and Medford Drive
- Americana Drive and Americana Place
- Patriot Drive and Inverton Road
Seven Corners
- Cherry Street and Lawndale Drive
- Peyton Randolph Drive and Willston Drive
- Patrick Henry Drive and Willston Drive
- Patrick Henry Drive and Brook Drive
Bailey’s Crossroads
- Glen Carlyn Drive and Argyle Drive
- George Mason Drive and Seminary Road
- Carlin Springs Road and Columbia Pike
- Columbia Pike and Carlin Springs Road
- Route 7 and S. Jefferson Street
A community member noted the lack of bike lanes around some of those locations raises safety concerns. Zachary DesJardins, Capital Bikeshare manager for FCDOT, acknowledged that the county’s Bicycle Master Plan has gaps and said people can ride in the sidewalk if they feel more comfortable.
Another resident suggested the Capital Bikeshare docking stations should be closer to shopping centers and libraries.
The stations have to be in the public right-of-way, while many commercial areas in Annandale are not, DesJardins said.
The county doesn’t have funding to add more stations at this time, but that might be possible in the future, Cacner added.
In selecting sites, FCDOT looked for residential density, where there are lots of apartments or townhouses. The docking stations also have to be in areas with lots of sunshine, as they have solar panels that need four hours of sunlight a day.
A Capital Bikeshare annual membership is $95 for unlimited 45-minute rides. A day pass is $8, and a single ride is $1 plus 5 cents a minute.
Fairfax County plans to acquire 140 electric bikes that can be locked to any public bike rack within a quarter-mile of a station. E-bikes are available through Capital Bikeshare, but the new e-bikes will be owned by the county.
FCDOT is accepting public feedback on the new Capital Bikeshare stations through Sept. 6 at https://engage.fairfaxcounty.gov/r2887 or call 703-890-5898 (code 10501).
I look forward to bikeshare expanding in these areas! We’re slowly building out a great network that has proven so successful around the region. Now people in Culmore, Seven Corners and Annandale will have access to the system and another option to get around. It’s helpful too that Capital Bikeshare offers a low income program that significantly reduces the costs for those who need it. https://capitalbikeshare.com/pricing/for-all
Why are we giving criminals in crime-ridden areas the means to access our nice neighborhoods, where our children play?
Seriously. Low income housing, needle exchanges, whack job local politicians, condemn our brave police… now, give seedy neighborhoods and homeless encampments (that are allowed to exist—why?!) access to cheap bikes?
When Capital Bikeshare sends its people, they’re not sending their best. They’re not sending you. They’re not sending you. They’re sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems with us. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.
Mock away. We’ll see how funny it is in a couple months. Meet you back on this post this time next year to see who was right?
If we change our name to Arlington County the bikes Would be installed next week. Invite Arlington DOT to FFC to train FDOT how to get it done in a week. There’s no money. You must be joking.