A predecessor to Capital Bikeshare, the SmartBike DC bike sharing service, debuted in 2008 with 10 stations and 120 bicycles.[4] But that system — the first of its kind in the United States[5] — never expanded, due in part to the expense and difficulty of installing new stations, which required the local utility company to bring electricity to each station.[6] SmartBike DC ceased operations in January 2011.[7]