Norton Says Capital Bikeshare on National Mall is an Important Step toward a People-Friendly National Mall

September 7, 2011

WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today commended the National Park Service (NPS) for agreeing to explore installation of Capital Bikeshare stations along the National Mall. In October, Norton wrote National Park Service Director Jonathan Jarvis urging NPS participation in the regional Bikeshare program, which offers 1,100 bikes at 100 locations in all eight D.C. wards and at 14 locations in and around Crystal City in Arlington, Virginia. In July, Norton, who was concerned about NPS inflexibility on citizen activities in NPS parks in the city, got a commitment from Interior Subcommittee appropriators for a study of alternatives to current NPS policy of applying the same rules and regulations to all NPS parks, regardless of local circumstances.

"D.C. is a city of parks, and bikes and parks go together," said Norton. "I hope NPS will work with our community to encourage even greater use of bikes in our parks. Besides the clear practical utility of bikes as a mode of travel, promoting bike use brings big health benefits in a town where defeating obesity and promoting physical exercises is an important civic goal."

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