Blue Line Trial Program: More Hours To Take Your Bike On The Blue Line

I am a little late to this, but it seems the MBTA is going to let bikes on the blue line two extra hours a day in an attempt to increase bike access to East Boston.

from the MBTA website.

(Updated March 2011)

This may be one of the most flexible and convenient ways to ride the T. We’ve upgraded the system with buses and trains that accommodate bikes, installed a variety of plentiful and well located parking facilities; and introduced the Bike CharlieCard. Combine the pleasure of riding your bicycle with the convenience of using public transportation to get where you need to go.

New this month: Expanded Bike Access to the Blue Line

The MBTA is expanding the hours that bicycles can be brought on Blue Line trains. This six-month pilot program will begin March 19, 2011.

When are bikes now allowed on the Blue Line?
Anytime except 7AM-9AM in the inbound direction and 4PM-6PM in the outbound direction.
Why the Blue Line only?
We recognize that Boston Harbor poses a barrier to cyclists to and from East Boston and welcome the opportunity to use existing Blue Line capacity to improve customer mobility. New bike hours are tailored specifically to Blue Line ridership levels. High ridership and crowding on other lines prohibits relaxing existing rules at this time.

Admittedly this is not an earth shattering change in policy (they shaved an hour off the restrictions in the am and another one in the pm), but it is a start. They also realize that its hard to get your bike to East Boston, and I have a feeling that they could have taken the restrictions off completely and it wouldn’t have been a very big deal.

Lets hope this continues!

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