More people are riding their bicycles to Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (Metro), according to Metro’s most recent bicycle census, which counted parked bicycles at Metrorail stations.

Bike parking usage in 2012 is up 3% from last year and the availability of bicycle parking near Metrorail stations has increased to more than 4,000 spaces.

Currently, 85 of 86 Metrorail stations have bicycle racks available. At stations with newly installed bike racks, the census showed an uptick in usage compared with last year.

In May, Metro introduced the system's first "bike & ride" facility at College Park Station. The secure facility offers enclosed parking for more than 100 bikes.

Metro has been working to improve bicycle access to stations and encourage customers to travel to Metrorail by bike to reach a goal of tripling the number of people who bike to a Metrorail station by 2020. Bicycling is a cost-effective, environmentally-friendly and sustainable way to access Metro.

The 2012 bicycle parking census was taken over a six-week period in May and June. For more information about the census, see the blog post on PlanItMetro.