On Wednesday Streetsblog declared Portland the leader in the race to launch a public bike-share program here in America. But as reader Chris Loos pointed out, a bike-share system in Washington is actually imminent.

"DC SmartBike" will launch as a pilot program in the coming weeks with 120 bikes at 10 stations, available for an annual subscription of about $40. It’s not exactly Vélib, but it’s a start. During an address at the Bike Summit earlier this week, Emeka Moneme, head of DC’s DOT, said that his department is also looking at developing a region-wide bike-share network in Washington, Maryland, and Virginia. For more coverage of the city’s bike-share plans, check out the excellent DC bike blog WashCycle. 

Story Originally Filed by Ben Fried