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The grant-winning projects include both feasibility studies for several jurisdictions and actual implementation and opening of bikeshare stations for others that are further along in the planning and design process. The winners are divided into two categories – funding to implement a bikeshare facility and funding for a feasibility study to determine potential bikeshare station locations. The Bikeshare Grant Program is funded through the Maryland Department of Transportation’s Federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) Program and will cover 80 percent of the total project cost. Local jurisdictions are required to pay a 20 percent match. The winners of grants to implement bikesharing systems are: Baltimore City, Montgomery County and joint partners with University of Maryland at College Park and the City of College Park. The winners of grants for feasibility studies of potential bikeshare stations are: Frederick City, Howard County and joint partners with Prince George’s County and the City of Greenbelt.
National Mall and Memorial Parks (NAMA)/National Park Service (NPS) proposes to participate in the Capital Bikeshare program by permitting five bikeshare stations on NAMA/NPS managed property. The Capital Bikeshare program is a regional alternative transportation amenity for visitors and residents and has quickly become a viable form of public transportation. Participating in this bikeshare system would fulfill the goal of enhancing bicycle use at the park, as envisioned in NAMA’s 2008 National Mall Visitor Transportation Study and the 2010 National Mall Plan. Increasing bicycle use reduces traffic congestion, fossil fuel use and air emissions, and provides an additional and affordable form of access to destinations throughout the park. Proposed locations for the five Capital Bikeshare stations are as follows: (1) Smithsonian Metro Station entrance area on the National Mall Location: West of the existing information kiosk on Jefferson Drive, in the gravel area, adjacent to paved sidewalk. (2) Lincoln Memorial area Location: On Lincoln Memorial Circle between 23rd and Daniel French Drive at the former interpretive transportation kiosk area. (3) Jefferson Memorial area Location: South of East Basin Drive from the bus pull-off between the curb and existing sidewalk, west of crosswalk intersection. (4) Washington Monument area Location: Jefferson Drive between 14th and 15th streets at the bus pull-off along the sidewalk east of the kiosk. (5) FDR/MLK Memorial area Location: Ohio Drive at West Basin Drive, at the bus pull-off, on the sidewalk west of existing kiosk. These locations have been selected based on their proximity to visitor destinations, access to compatible modes of transportation such as Metro and bike paths, and connectivity to other Capital Bikeshare stations. They are located in the vicinity of “Visitor Transportation Stops” as shown on the Circulation Map for the Preferred Alternative in the National Mall Plan. The National Park Service (NPS) is seeking the public’s input concerning the Capital Bikeshare stations. Please visit: http://parkplanning.nps.gov/Capitalbikeshare for materials and information on how to comment. NPS will receive public comments through December 28, 2011.
I believe the Bethesda area is particularly well-suited for expanding our bikesharing system. With its high metro ridership, proximity to existing bikeshare stations, and already congested roads, I believe conditions are such that a network of stations would serve our constituents there quite well.He goes on to list a number of community and business group already supportive of the expansion, argues that bikeshare could be useful to mitigate BRAC traffic impacts near the National Naval Medical Center, and notes the potential of the White Flint area to provide a “missing link” in the bikeshare network between his proposed Bethesda-area network and the stations coming to Rockville. Click here to access the full letter.