Open houses this spring to focus on bike share expansion

The Boston Transportation Department (BTD) plans to host eleven open houses this spring to finalize plans for more than 70 new bike share stations in the City.  Boston residents are encouraged to drop in to an open house and share comments in person.  An online survey is available as well at: www.boston.gov/bike-share-expansion .

Expanding bike share to increase the number of bikes and stations, and improve bike share access for Bostonians, is a goal of Go Boston 2030, the City of Boston’s long term transportation plan.  Bike Share Network Expansion is referenced in the project’s Vision and Action Plan released in the spring of 2017.

“In the fall of 2017, BTD asked residents to identify locations where they’d like to see bike share service in Boston,” said Boston Transportation Department Commissioner Gina N. Fiandaca.  “Hundreds of residents made suggestions on an online map and others contributed at 28 public workshops hosted by BTD.  As a result, we now have a list of more than 120 locations that meet or exceed the technical needs for bike share stations, and comments from residents this spring will help to inform the final locations.”

New stations will be installed starting in June 2018.  Open houses focused on these installations will take place as follows.

The City of Boston recently announced a new, regional partnership with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Massachusetts and other municipal owners of the Hubway bike share system.  The existing Hubway system will be rebranded as Blue Bikes this spring, reflecting Blue Cross’ support for expanding and growing the bike share system with the partner municipalities.

Bike share is an affordable transportation option, with full-priced annual memberships available for just $99 per year.  The recently-launched income-eligible program provides $5 monthly memberships and $50 annual memberships to individuals over the age of 16 who participate in various public assistance programs.

More information about bike share in Boston is available at: https://www.boston.gov/departments/boston-bikes/hubway 

Go Boston 2030 is the City of Boston’s long term mobility plan.  It envisions a city in a region where all residents have better and more equitable travel choices, where efficient transportation networks foster economic opportunity, and where steps have been taken to prepare for climate change.  Whether traveling by transit, on foot, on a bike or by car, people will be able to access all parts of Boston safely and reliably.  A list of projects and policies have been developed that are being implemented as early action projects in the near term, and a set of long term projects and policies are intended to be implemented over the next 15 years.