Bicycling Information for Students

If you do not already own a bike, there are many local bike shops in Georgetown that can help you find the right bicycle for you.

Students can also sign up for a membership in Capital Bikeshare (new window), a bike-sharing program which has over 1,800 bikes and 200 parking docks in the region, including one right outside GU’s main gates.

Georgetown University Police Department (GUPD) offers bicycle registration (new window) for students, faculty, and staff.

While bicycle registration is not required by the university, it is highly recommended as it allows GUPD to contact you if your bike is impounded or stolen and recovered, as well as cut your lock if it breaks or you lose your key. Registering your bike with the university is free, and DPS will also register your bike with the National Bicycle Registry (new window) for $10, which can help national law enforcement find and recover your bicycle if stolen. 

Online bicycle registration with GUPD can be completed by filling out this form (new window), and you can also register your bike online with the National Bicycle Registry.

There are over 1,000 bicycle parking spaces on Georgetown’s campus that are conveniently located outside all residence halls, academic buildings, libraries, and at Yates Field House.

Covered bicycle parking is also available in several locations around campus including in Red Square, Garage 4 (under the Hariri Building), Southwest Garage, Leavey Center, Lauinger Library, and GU Hospital Parking Garage. In addition, students are allowed to keep their bicycles in the dorm rooms and apartments.

For a complete list of all bicycle parking locations on campus, explore the above map.

Always lock your bike to a bike rack (not trees, fences, or signposts) using a U-Lock. To lock your bike securely, make sure that your U-Lock goes through your frame and at least one wheel. For added security, you can use a secondary cable lock to lock your second wheel to your U-Lock. Discounted U-Locks can be purchased from GUPD (located in Village C West).

GUPD Officers regularly patrol bicycle parking areas, but the best guard against bike theft is to park your bike in a well-lit area with a lot of pedestrian foot traffic.

As you explore campus and the DC community by bike, make sure that you stay safe by following these simple rules, which can prevent 90% of all bicycle crashes:

• Obey all traffic laws: bicycles are vehicles too and must obey the rules of the road.
• Know your rights and responsibilities as a bicyclist: visit WABA’s website (new window) to stay informed on laws in the metro DC area
• Share the road: Always be aware of vehicular and pedestrian traffic around you and be courteous to others
• If it’s night, use a light: a white light in front and a red reflector or light in the back
• Always wear a helmet: if all else fails, your helmet will help protect you

In addition, the University offers free monthly bicycle safety classes about how to stay safe and become more confident riding your bike in the DC area. You can sign up for a class by signing up here.

Break the Georgetown Bubble and explore the District on two wheels! Washington, DC is one of the most bicycle-friendly cities in the country.

DC has an expansive network of on-street marked bicycle routes through the city, and a network of multi-use trails along the Potomac River and elsewhere throughout the region.

To discover safe bicycle routes to any destination in the city, check out Ride the City DC (new window), an online route finding service.

Capital Bikeshare is a regional bicycle sharing initiative that allows members to rent bicycles from conveniently-located stations throughout the District of Columbia region and park them at any other station in the system. The nearest Capital Bikeshare stations to campus are conveniently located outside the University’s main gate at 37th & O Streets and on the north edge of campus at 38th & Reservoir Rd. Other Capital Bikeshare stations near the University are at M & Potomac Streets, Wisconsin Avenue & O Street, and Wisconsin Avenue & 34th Street.

Students can sign-up for a $25 Capital Bikeshare Annual Membership. The discounted rate is available to all undergraduate, graduate, Law Center, and Medical Center students.

Georgetown’s Benefits Office offers a discounted membership to full-time faculty and staff for their first year of membership.

For more information about Capital Bikeshare, including how you can become a member, visit www.capitalbikeshare.com

If you are interested in bicycling at Georgetown, several groups and resources exist.

The Georgetown University Cycling Team (GUCT) is Georgetown’s official cycling team for road, mountain, and cyclocross riding and racing. You can learn more about this group by visiting their Hoyalink page.

The Office of Sustainability also offers student internships related to supporting GU’s Bicycle Friendly Campus initiatives. In the 2014-2015 academic year a team of interns explored the potential for a bicycle rental program on campus. The program is being piloted in Fall 2015 with 10 bicycles.

If you are interested in bicycling advocacy at the local or national level, consider becoming a member of the Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA), or the League of American Bicyclists, both headquartered here in the District of Columbia.

If you are interested in getting further involved in bicycling on campus, you can also join GU’s unofficial bicycling listserv by sending an email to biking@georgetown.edu.

If you have a bicycle that you no longer want and wish to donate, the university will accept your bike and donate it to organizations such as Bikes for the World and Phoenix Bikes. To inquire about donating your bike, please contact Sergeant Talib Abdur-Rahim at GUPD.

Washington Area Bicyclist Association (new window)

goDCgo (new window)

Bike Washington (new window)

Greater Greater Washington (new window)

WABA Blog (new window)

Smart Cycling Tips (new window)

Rules of the Road (new window)

DC Bicycle Law (new window)

Washington DC Bicycle Map (new window)

Capital Bikeshare Station Map (new window)

Georgetown University Bicycle Map