Project peddles to bikers

Andrew Statten forced his bike through the clogged racks outside of Union Station looking for any strip of exposed metal to secure his ride.

“This is a bike-friendly city, but we’re always hard-up for open rack space,” said Mr. Statten, a 23-year-old George Washington University law student.

The California-based Bikestation company is attempting to help Mr. Statten and others trying to avoid increasing gas prices and reduce gridlock by commuting on a bicycle by opening a bicycle storage-maintenance-rental facility in Northwest.

Construction on the estimated $4 million project, between Union Station and the National Postal Museum, will begin in July and should be completed by spring 2009.

“We need more people biking here to reduce vehicle traffic and make getting around easy, so this is a good thing. We should always encourage clean transportation like this, ” said Kris Kremmerer, a 33-year-old Metro commuter from Chantilly.

Don Paine, an architect with KGB studios, which is designing the station, the first on the East Coast to combine storage and retail space, said the project will “complement its surroundings so it will be reflective and diminutive next to its neighbors.”

Cyclists using the station, which will be encased in glass and resemble the dome of a cycling helmet, will pay a daily or annual fee.

The company and bike stores around the region have seized upon the gas crisis and green movement, as the city attempts to expand its bicycle infrastructure.

“My commuter bikes are flying off the shelf faster than Honda Accord’s in the ’80s,” said Steven Meyer, general manager of Revolution Cycles in Georgetown. He also said a lot of people walk into his shop looking to fully replace their vehicles with bicycles.

Right now, the city is working on an 8-mile-long Metropolitan Branch Trail that will link Silver Spring with Union Station along the Metro’s Red Line. The project was started 15 years ago, and is currently stalled near the New York Avenue/Florida Avenue/Gallaudet University stop due to conflicts between the city and the hired construction firm.

Opening phases of the project coincide with the start of Smartbike D.C., a citywide bicycle rental operation run by ClearChannel outdoor. Bike subscriptions will be opened to the public in a few days.

Bikestation officials and the District, which is helping with the project, hope the Union Station spot will be the first among the company’s four, in California and Chicago, to be profitable.

“We think the high traffic area and low rent provided by the district will make the station very successful,” said Andrea White, executive director of Bikestation.

A federal subsidy will pay for as much as 80 percent of construction costs, and the D.C. Department of Transportation will cover the remaining $800,000.

David Zacher, a 28-year-old federal employee from the District’s Logan Circle neighborhood has no problem with Bikestation receiving start-up money. “All transportation is subsidized, so why should bicycling be any different?” said Mr. Zacher, who has cycled to work for eight years.

District officials said they will pay additional money if the station fails to turn a profit.

“We’re prepared to use local money to cover this operation if it comes to that,” said Jim Sebastian, director of DDOT’s Bike and Pedestrian division.

Several city regulations are in place to make cyclists lives easier. “The laws right now are supportive of biking commuters, and we’re working on improving trails and lanes throughout the city,” said Mr. Sebastian, who told The Washington Times that new buildings must install bicycle racks accommodating employees and locals. Larger office spaces must even provide indoor storage areas and showers for commuters.

Cycling enthusiasts would like roads to be safer.

“There’s a major problem with enforcement here,” said Eric Gilliland, executive director of the Washington Area Bicycling Association. “If cyclists are treated like vehicles, then accidents drop.”

The group advocates rearranging road layouts to protect cyclists. New York City has put bike lanes inside of vehicle parking spaces, separating vulnerable cyclists from moving vehicles.

Many large metropolitan areas are taking measures to encourage two-wheeled traffic. Chicago is beginning a city-wide network that will unite the city neighborhoods via bicycle and pedestrian paths. New York City recently held an all- day bicycle event, during which many streets were closed to vehicles, allowing residents the freedom to ride unafraid of traffic. Long Beach, Calif. and San Francisco have Bike Stations at their busiest city centers.