Gallaudet University Celebrates New Capital Bikeshare station

On Thursday, August 2, Gallaudet University hosted about 50 people to commemorate its new on-campus Capital Bikeshare station. Located just inside the university’s main entrance at 8th Street and Florida Avenue, NE, it is the first station to be situated on a college campus in the D.C. metro area and is open to the public.

Gallaudet President T. Alan Hurwitz, an avid bicyclist, said the new Bikeshare station is more than just a convenient way to travel around D.C.

“Providing services like Bikeshare is just one of the ways the university is implementing sustainability on its campus,” explained President Hurwitz.

Also attending the celebration was the Honorable Mayor Vincent Gray, Director of the District Department of Transportation Terry Bellamy, and the Director of the D.C. Office of Planning, Harriet Tregoning. Mayor Gray noted that he hopes other D.C. area universities integrate Bikeshare stations onto their campuses.

“Gallaudet is a leader, always has been a leader,” said Mayor Gray. “President Hurwitz has worked hard to integrate the university with the broader efforts here in the city. It is wonderful to be here to see this continued progress on the part of Gallaudet and the progress on the part of the city to create healthy, energy-saving forms of transportation.”

In addition to Bikeshare, Gallaudet’s other sustainability efforts include:

• Encouraging the use of Metro by providing free shuttle services to our two closest stations.
• Establishing a sustainability committee to monitor the campus’s operations and identify areas to conserve energy and other resources.
• Conducting an energy study with our contactor Johnson Controls and curtailing water, electrical, and gas and diesel fuel costs.
• Introducing a geothermal heating and cooling system in our newest campus building.
• Offering the “Live Near Your Work”incentive program to encourage employees to move closer to campus.
• And, signing a pledge with eight other university presidents to help to help make Washington, D.C. the “Greenest College Town in America.”

Discounted yearly memberships are available to the Gallaudet community. Visit the Campus Activities Center on the first floor of the I. King Jordan Student Academic Center for more information.
For more information about Capital Bikeshare, go to: http://www.capitalbikeshare.com

Gallaudet University, federally chartered in 1864, is a bilingual, diverse, multicultural institution of higher education that ensures the intellectual and professional advancement of deaf and hard of hearing individuals through American Sign Language and English. Gallaudet maintains a proud tradition of research and scholarly activity and prepares its graduates for career opportunities in a highly competitive, technological, and rapidly changing world.