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Georgetown students will have a new way to leave the Hilltop and explore D.C. this fall, thanks to a regional bike-sharing program introduced by the District Department of Transportation and Arlington County in June.

Four bike-sharing stations will open in Georgetown and Glover Park in September, according to The Georgetown Dish. They will be located at the intersection of Wisconsin Avenue and 37th Street, 2422 37th St., 3520 Prospect St. and near the C & O Canal on Wisconsin Avenue.

Mayor Adrian Fenty, Arlington County Board Chairman Jay Fisette and DDOT Director Gabe Klein first announced the launch of the program May 21.

“[This is] a wonderful example of regional cooperation,” Fisette said in a press release.

A survey was held by the District and Arlington County to name the bike-sharing program; on June 8, they announced that “Capital Bikeshare” was the name chosen by the majority of 1,164 voters. Capital Bikeshare will distribute about 1,100 bikes at 100 stations throughout the eight wards of the District and 14 stations in Arlington County.

The program is an expansion of SmartBike DC, which started in 2008, and it will be the largest regional bike-sharing program in the country. There are also plans to add more stations further into Virginia, according to DDOT’s website.

To rent a bike from Capital Bikeshare, people in D.C. and Arlington County can buy a one-day membership at any of the stations, or a one-day, 30-day or annual membership online.

“[It is] designed for quick trips. … If you need a bike for a full day, a bike rental shop in the District or Arlington may be a better option,” according to Capital Bikeshare’s website.

A one-day membership costs $5, and the first 30 minutes of each trip are free, but the cost of each subsequent 30-minute interval increases exponentially.

Some Georgetown students, including Dave Barton (NHS ’13), do not anticipate using Capital Bikeshare over existing bike rental services.

“I think it is an interesting idea that has some utility with transportation and ‘green living’ practices, [but] I think most students in the area, including myself, use bikes more for recreation and exercise [than for transportation],” Barton said. “I do not see any benefit to using Capital Bikeshare over any other bike rental service because I would not use it any differently.”

Other students said that they understand the appeal of the program.

“I actually have my bike down here, but the only reason it made the trip from New York is because of how handy it [is]. If I didn’t have one, though, I would absolutely use a bike-share program because before having one I really didn’t do much exploring outside of Georgetown itself,” Kaitlin Donohue (COL ’10) said.

Despite these views, Fisette expressed his hope that Capital Bikeshare would help connect the District and Arlington, making it easier for residents and visitors to travel between them.

“This new system will connect with our existing transit network, and provide even more options for people to get around,” Fisette said in a DDOT press release.

Klein also highlighted the health benefits of Capital Bikeshare.

“The District continues to move forward with our initiatives to provide a more balanced approach to transportation,” Klein said in a DDOT press release. “Biking provides a healthy and efficient way to get around town and with the installation of this new system almost anyone who can ride a bike will enjoy the benefits.”