The U.S.’s bike share programs just keep getting better

Bike share programs are spreading across the United States like carbon-reducing wildfire. Since the launch of the first modern U.S. bike-share system in 2008 (yes, the system has been around for decades, but 2008 was the first theft-proof and functioning system), 29 have popped up. In 2012 alone, eight new cities have set up bike share programs with more scheduled to begin in cities like New York, Los Angeles, and Fort Worth.

Capital Bikeshare in Washington, D.C. is the model share program of the moment. Starting in 2010 with 1,100 bikes and 18,000 members, the program now has over 1,670 bikes and 175 pick-up and drop-off stations, making it the largest sharing consortium in the country.