Bike Share Expansion 2024-2025
Our public bike share is coming to a street near you! We want your help in finding the best spots.
We are working to make our public bike share more reliable and convenient for you to use. We will add more stations in every neighborhood across the city by spring 2025. We are adding stations to high demand areas, and expanding into new areas too!
In the current public engagement phase, we are focusing on Charlestown, East Boston, South Boston, and South Boston Waterfront. Attend an open house or share comments on potential sites on our online surveys.
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Stay Connected
Use this form to sign up to get updates about our bike share expansion planning process.
Upcoming Events
EventsNew stations coming this fall!
Earlier this summer, we identified 50 potential sites in Beacon Hill, Chinatown, Downtown, North End, South End, and West End. We shared them with you and asked for your help narrowing down the list. Based on your feedback, we prioritized sites for installation. We expect to install 25 sites by the early winter. Installation began in mid-September, and we are continuing to secure permits for preferred sites.
Check out the map and key below to explore the status of specific stations. We'll continue to update this map as we secure permits and schedule installations.
Map Key
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Approved for Installation - These sites have been approved for installation, although final permits may need to be signed. |
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Preferred for Installation - The City of Boston prefers these sites over others and is pursuing necessary approvals and agreements. |
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Alternate Sites - These sites are less preferred, but may still be good options to pursue if other alternatives do not receive necessary approvals. |
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On Hold / Not Pursuing at This Time - The City of Boston has not prioritized these sites for installation at this time. They might be installed at a future date, pending a community process. |
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Installed - These stations were installed as part of the 100-station expansion. |
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Existing - These stations existed before the expansion or their installation was funded by other sources. |
Phases
PhasesWe began the first phase of expansion in Fall 2023, installing 8 new stations in Mattapan and Dorchester, and adding 31 docks to existing stations. Planning in this phase was accelerated to provide rapid response support for the Red Line diversion.
OPEN HOUSES
| Monday, July 22, 2024 | 6 - 8 p.m. | Civic Pavilion, 5 Congress St, Boston 02203 |
| Tuesday, July 30, 2024 | 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. | Central Library in Copley Square, Commonwealth Salon, 700 Boylston St, Boston 02116 |
| Wednesday, August 14, 2024 | 6 - 8 p.m. | Virtual |
- View the presentation
- Watch a recording (English)
- Listen to a recording (available in Cantonese, Cabo Verdean Creole, Haitian Creole, Mandarin, Spanish, and Vietnamese)
SURVEYS CLOSED ON AUGUST 31, 2024:
OPEN HOUSES
| Thursday, October 17 | 6:15 - 8:30 p.m. | BYCF Paris Street, 112 Paris St, East Boston, MA 02128 | View the presentation |
| Tuesday, October 22 | 6 - 8 p.m. | BCYF Charlestown, 255 Medford St, Charlestown, MA 02129 | View the presentation |
| Thursday, November 7 | 6 - 8 p.m. | Joseph P. Tynan Elementary School, 650 E 4th St, South Boston, MA 02127 | View the presentation |
| Thursday, November 14 | 6 - 8 p.m. | Virtual - Register at bit.ly/expansion-november |
SURVEYS are open through november 30, 2024
We will start engagement for this phase in early 2025. We aim to add up to 35 new stations in 2025 across Allston, Brighton, Fenway, Longwood, and Mission Hill.
We will start engagement for this phase in 2025. We aim to add up to 24 new stations in 2025 across Dorchester, JP, Mattapan, and Roxbury.
We will start engagement for this phase in 2025. We aim to add up to 21 new stations in 2025 across Back Bay, Hyde Park, Roslindale, and West Roxbury.
What makes a good location
Being dense is a good thing
You may hear us talk about the importance of "station density." Basically, we want to be sure bike share stations are not too far apart from each other. More nearby stations also means more places to find a dock or a bike. If a station is full or empty, you’ll be confident there is another one close by for you to use. Studies show that people use bike share more often when stations are close together.
Good station density also helps us improve the reliability of the system. Our teams work throughout the day in response to demand for bikes or empty docks. The more docks in an area, the easier it is for our team to provide enough bikes for everyone.
Our goal is for stations to be within an easy walk from you. Today, nearly 90% of Boston households are within a 10-minute walk of a bike share station. Where a lot of people use the system, like in downtown neighborhoods, you should find a station by walking between 3 and 5 minutes.
OFF-STREET
When we put stations on sidewalks, we need to be careful to leave at least five feet of clear space for pedestrians, strollers, and people in wheelchairs. If a station can be placed against a building, the sidewalk needs to be at least 11-feet-wide. If the station is along the curb, we will need to offset the station another 1.5 - 3 feet to allow for curbside furniture and the opening of car doors. Most of Boston's bike share stations are located on sidewalks or plazas.
IN-STREET
We can put stations in most places where parked cars could go. Our stations provide parking for 19 bikes in the same space as about three cars. Since stations have a lower physical profile than parked cars, they can be placed near intersections to make it easier for drivers and pedestrians to see each other. On busier streets, we will often orient the station so that people can access the bikes from the sidewalk side. This helps keep everyone safer.
ON PRIVATE PROPERTY
Sometimes, we can put stations on privately-owned property. These locations need to be publicly-accessible at all times and relatively easy for our crews to service. Most importantly, the land-owners must agree to have our stations on their property and sign legal documents. Some areas that seem to be part of the public sidewalk or public plaza are privately-owned.
VISIBLE LOCATIONS
Stations with good visibility help people feel safe using bike share. Visible stations are in spots with good night-time lighting, near destinations, and easy to spot from the street. Stations are placed to minimize conflicts with people walking, biking, and driving.
SUNNY SPOTS
All of our stations are powered by the sun. Without enough exposure to sunlight, they won't work.
CLEAR OF UTILITIES
Stations cannot block utility access points such as fire hydrants, sewer grates, and manholes. We want workers to have quick access so they can maintain essential services.
OPEN FOR BUSINESS
Our teams also need to be able to access stations regularly for bike rebalancing and general maintenance. They usually come by van or bike and need to stop nearby.
Updates
UpdatesIn October 2024, we sent emails to the project list about upcoming in-person and virtual open houses. At these events, we shared potential sites with you and answered questions. We published surveys to collect your comments. We posted signs and flyers at potential sites. We asked for your input on which sites would work best for the neighborhood.
In December, based on your feedback, we will prioritize sites for installation. We will send an email to the project list and update the website with information about the priority and status of the list of stations. We aim to start installation for this phase in December.
In July 2024, we sent emails to the project list about upcoming in-person and virtual open houses. At these events, we shared potential sites with you and answered questions. We published surveys to collect your comments. We posted signs and flyers at potential sites. We asked for your input on which sites would work best for the neighborhood.
In September, based on your feedback, we prioritized sites for installation. We sent an email to the project list and updated the website with information about the priority and status of the list of stations. We started installation in mid-September.
Before looking for potential sites, we needed to understand where within Boston’s 48.4 square miles the 100 new bikeshare stations should be placed, and more importantly, why they should go there. The City’s Analytics Team applied geospatial data analysis and data science methodologies to thoughtfully inform where these new stations should be installed.
We began the first phase of expansion in Fall 2023, installing 8 new stations in Mattapan and Dorchester, and adding 31 docks to existing stations. Planning in this phase was accelerated to provide rapid response support for the Red Line diversion.
Mayor Michelle Wu and the Boston Transportation Department (BTD) announced a plan to grow our public bike share system by 40 percent, adding more than 100 new stations over the next three years. This commitment is part of a larger plan to create safe streets for all modes of transportation. To do this, Boston is expanding Bluebikes to accommodate rising demand, designing traffic-calmed streets by building speed humps and raised crosswalks, and hiring more staff to aid in the design process.
The announcement was covered by local news outlets.
Bike share perks
Bike share perksAdding Bluebikes to driving or taking public transit can help you reduce overall transportation costs.
For example, many people drive or take public transit and ride Bluebikes for shorter trips. By riding Bluebikes for shorter trips once in a while, you can stretch your gas tank over a longer period of time. This allows you to save money on fewer trips to the gas station.
Boston residents, regardless of income, can get a $60/year Bluebikes membership if they have not had a Bluebikes membership within the last three years. We offer a discounted membership for Boston residents with limited incomes, which costs just $5 each year. Some employers or schools also offer discounted memberships! Without a membership, one trip costs just $2.95 for 45 minutes on a pedal bike (ebikes have an additional per-minute fee). Or, you can purchase a Day Pass, which gives you 24-hour access to check out bikes for two hours at a time.
Live on the third floor? Bluebikes stations make it easy to grab a bike when you’re in a rush. You won’t need to worry about carrying a bike down or up several flights of stairs. Bluebikes also receive regular maintenance checks.
Say your sister is using your car, you can still catch a ride by finding a Bluebikes at your nearest station. Need to drop your car off at an auto body shop? You can take Bluebikes home. Plus, in most of Boston, you can usually find a station just a 10 minute walk away wherever you are!
More about bike share in Boston
Bluebikes is owned by the City of Boston and other municipalities
A fun and affordable way to get around
We offer discounted passes for Boston residents: $60 per year for new riders or $5 per year for income-eligible riders.
Find one of about 450 stations across the metro Boston area
Who's Involved:
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Stay Connected
Use this form to sign up to get updates about our bike share expansion planning process.
