Experience the Green Transformation in DC

John Lower highlights some of Washington, DC's greener mobility options ahead of the ITSA Annual Meeting in June.

Our meet-up at the ITS America Annual Meeting in Washington, DC in June will provide four days to consider the theme of "A Better Future Transformed by Intelligent Mobility: Safer. Greener. Smarter". It is also an opportunity to explore some of the greener mobility options offered in our host city.

Last month at the League of American Bicyclists Annual Meeting (where the theme was putting more data in the hands of planners), I accepted the challenge of using the Capital Bikeshare – metro DC's bikeshare service with 4,300 bikes and 500+ stations. The bikeshare stations and bike lanes in proximity to the Convention Center are shown above.

After downloading the CaBi app, I was able to join, unlock, ride and return bikes easily and inexpensively. So for ITSA attendees who are serious about going green, having fun, and getting exercise, I highly recommend giving it a try. And if you are less serious about the exercise part of the experience, just locate one of the 500 ebikes Capital Bikeshare rolled out starting March 18.

A more intense option is to schedule a Capital Sites bike tour. As part of the League of American Bicyclists meeting, we rode with BikeandRoll on a night tour to learn about the major sites around the National Mall and Capitol Hill, including the Capitol Building, Supreme Court, Smithsonian Museums, the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial and more. Our Capital Sites tour took place on sidewalks, paths and trails. It’s a great way to enrich your conference and visit to DC.

This article was originally published on the ITS America Annual Meeting 2019 blog.