With all the excitement about change coming to Washington with the election of Barack Obama, it can be easy to forget that the Capitol is slowly becoming a more bicycle-friendly city. As the above video highlights, Washington, D.C. recently implemented a bike-share program known as Smart Bike D.C. And much as cities like New York and Mexico City have been doing, D.C. has been busy adding miles of new bike lanes and cycling infrastructure to accommodate the rise in cycling caused in part by high gas prices.Bike-sharing programs, which have truly gone global the last few years, appear to be putting cycling on the radar of politicians, planning professionals, and commuters. More and more people are realizing that the number of roads a city can build is limited, and encouraging more cycling can not only reduce air pollution, but also leads to safer, quieter streets; a healthier citizenry; and more efficient use of the existing road network.
That's probably why New York is considering requiring that all new buildings maintain a certain amount of parking for bicycles, for instance: it just makes sense for the City, and it's highly cost-effective.
More on Cycling
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Bike Sharing: A Tale of Two Cities
Roadside Assistance for Cyclists: Get to Where You're Going
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Cyclists Fight Back with Exploding Bike Lock
Cyclists, Motorists and the Law