Surviving Capitalism (Not) : Washington’s ‘Bikeshare’ is a Capital Idea

We’ve lived so long under the spell of hierarchy—from god-kings to feudal lords to party bosses—that only recently have we awakened to see not only that “regular” citizens have the capacity for self-governance, but that without their engagement our huge global crises cannot be addressed. The changes needed for human society simply to survive, let alone thrive, are so profound that the only way we will move toward them is if we ourselves, regular citizens, feel meaningful ownership of solutions through direct engagement. Our problems are too big, interrelated, and pervasive to yield to directives from on high.
—Frances Moore Lappé, excerpt from Time for Progressives to Grow Up

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Washington’s ‘Bikeshare’ is a Capital Idea

Click here to access article by Sarah Goodyear from Solidarity Economy.

...just one day using the CaBi made me see the place in a whole new way. I was aware of the connections between neighborhoods as I never have been before -- able to move faster than on foot, and without the hassle and time of descending to the Metro.

I spoke with Veronica Davis, a planner and engineer who lives in the Hillcrest neighborhood east of the Anacostia River, about her CaBi experience. "It changes how I look at community," she said. "When I am on the bike, people speak to me and wave at me. When I'm in a car, they can't see me."