Bikeshare Beat: CaBi wraps up a year of historic ridership in December
Full CaBi bike rack and e-bike at the Wharf by Elvert Barnes licensed under Creative Commons.
Cyclists battled the bleak midwinter in December as Capital Bikeshare (CaBi) ridership concluded a record-breaking year for the Greater Washington cycling service. The system ended 2023 with a total of 4,469,358 rides—an increase of 28.5% from 2022 and the busiest year recorded in the 13 year history of the bicycle network.
Data from Capital Bikeshare. Image by the author. 
Amidst holidays, Hill recesses, and frigid temperatures, CaBi recorded 277,042 rides in December. While this is a predictable decline for end-of-year ridership, this is still a 58.1% increase from December 2022.
Data from Capital Bikeshare. Image by the author. _1200_675_90.jpeg)
Over half of all rides in December were taken by ebikes (50.9%) which are notably a more expensive ride option for both CaBi Members and casual riders alike. Per CaBi pricing plans, e-bikes cost $0.15/minute for non-members and $0.10/minute for those who hold an annual pass. Amongst members, 49.2% of all rides were on e-bikes despite their membership including free rides on standard bikes up to 45 minutes.
Capital Bikeshare e-bike near the White House by Joe Flood licensed under Creative Commons._800_600_90.jpg)
The Bikeshare Beat was very much in the festive spirit throughout the holidays… as were CaBi’s riders. Who powered Santa’s sleigh? Who went smoochless on New Year’s Eve (or kissed while on CaBi)? Find out below in the latest edition of our Pedal Medals:
Image by the author. _1200_675_90.jpeg)
What did we miss? Reach out to editor@ggwash.org and let us know what you’d like to see in our monthly breakdowns, ideas for the future of the CaBi, missed pun opportunities, or lighthearted Pedal Medals to award.
Since its inception in September 2010, Capital Bikeshare has moved millions of riders around the Greater Washington metro area and is an affordable and efficient mode of transportation for residents and tourists alike. CaBi publishes its system data online each month, providing insights into ridership for the month prior and highlighting the rapid growth in user engagement around the city. All dissemination of this information by Greater Greater Washington is in good-faith compliance with the Capital Bikeshare Data License Agreement.
