Bikeshare Open House Planned For Tuesday Evening

Where would you like to see Capital Bikeshare stations in Bethesda?

The Montgomery County Department of Transportation will hold an open house Tuesday evening to ask for the community's input on where county stations should be located. DOT is looking at placing the stations from the District line to the Beltway along both legs of the Red Line -- in Takoma Park, Silver Spring, Forest Glen and Wheaton in the east county and Friendship Heights, Bethesda and Medical Center to the west.

The program, already successful in the District and Arlington, allows riders to rent bikes for a yearly fee of $75, and pick up and drop off the bikes at any BikeShare station. Monthly, daily and five-day memberships are also available, though riders are charged extra to rent bikes for more than 30 minutes at a time.

In Bethesda, the in recent months. Community groups and leaders including the Western Montgomery County Citizens Advisory Board, the the , County Councilman Roger Berliner (D-Dist. 1) and state Sen. Brian Frosh (D-Dist. 16) have all voiced their support for a BikeShare program, which they say could take cars off Bethesda’s congested streets and build off a network of trails that connects hubs including Westbard, downtown Bethesda, Medical Center, Friendship Heights, White Flint, and Chevy Chase.

Businesses, too -- including the River Road located along the Capital Crescent Trail -- have endorsed the idea.

The open house will be held from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday in the lobby auditorium of the Executive Office Building, 101 Monroe Street in Rockville.

Where do you think Bikeshare stations should be located in Bethesda? Tell us in the comments.