Last Friday Of The Month Ride With DotBike

Looks like fun!

Add to Reddit.

Tweet

Help Bring Protected Bike Lanes To Cambridge St!

got this in the email:

————

Do you want to see protected bike lanes on Cambridge St? We need your in-person support to make sure it happens!

On April 25, the City is holding its first public meeting for the Cambridge Street protected bike lane project. We need as many people as possible to show up and express support!

When: Tuesday April 25th from 6PM-8PM
Where: Cambridge Rindge & Latin School – Media Café, 459 Broadway (use main school entrance)

1. Click here to RSVP on Facebook.
2. Canvass with us at least once this week along Cambridge Street! Click here to sign up. The focus of the canvass is to inform neighbors about the project, building support for protected bike infrastructure at the local level. Talking points and materials will be provided.

This project is in no small part because of our community’s collective effort last fall and will be a model for future protected bike lanes and lay the groundwork for a much broader protected network. It’s essential that we work with the city to get this one right.

More details about the project below.

Sincerely,
The CBS core team
What is happening, and where?

Protected bicycle lanes are going to be installed on Cambridge St from Inman Square to Quincy St (near Harvard). The lanes will have a similar design to those on Mass Ave near the Harvard Law School and Lafayette Square, except that they will be longer and on both sides of the street. Here is an example cross-section, and here is a photo of one of the similar lanes on Mass Ave.***

Detailed comments

Three design elements that Cambridge Bicycle Safety views as critical for safety for Cambridge Street and all protected bike lane pilots:

1. The protected bicycle lanes need to be physically separated from parked and moving cars along the entire length of the protected lane. This can be accomplished using a range of options from flex posts to pre-cast curbing and planters.
2. Vehicles such as buses, taxis/Uber/Lyft, and delivery vehicles should not need to, or be able to, block or stop in the bike lane. Floating bus stops–where the bus stops in the travel lane and picks up riders from a raised platform–and appropriate signage and physical barriers to prevent disruptive stopping in the bicycle lane should be included. Here is an example from the MassDOT separated bike lane design guide.
3. Designated loading zones need to be provided elsewhere to make sure that deliveries and passenger pickup/dropoff can take place. Loading zones are crucial for small businesses who depend on deliveries, and they are also important because they provide an alternative to stopping in the bicycle lane.

We’ve recently sent the city two memos outlining our suggestions for the spring projects. Read them here.

*** Although they aren’t the focus of this public meeting, two other short segments of protected bike lanes are also being added this spring, one on Brattle St from Harvard Square to Mason St, and one on Mass Ave from Trowbridge St to Bow St. Additionally, protected bike lanes are part of all the Inman Square redesign options. We’ll be writing more about these projects soon.

Add to Reddit.

Tweet

Hubway Introduces Unicorn Madness

Vote today for your favorite in Round 1!

This month, Hubway is introducing a tournament of its own by celebrating its 8 uniquely wrapped bikes, also knows as “unicorns.” Get to know the unicorns, join the fun, win prizes by riding, and help your favorite win by taking part in Hubway Unicorn Madness! VIEW THE BRACKET How It Works ROUND 1 → Voting is open now through noon on March 22nd. Please vote only once per round. The 4 unicorn bikes with more votes in each matchup will move on to Round 2. Every trip you take on one of the unicorns will also count as entry to win a prize. Follow the bikes here. Round 2 → Join us at our Harvard Sq – Brattle/Eliot station on Thursday, March 23, at 8:45 AM when we reveal the final 4 unicorns. Attendees and Hubway members get a free small coffee from 8 – 9:30 AM at Crema Cafe. Each ride in round 2 through March 29thwill be added to online votes to determine the final 2 unicorns. Round 3 → The final 2 unicorns are revealed on Thursday, March 30, at 8:45 AM on Boston City Hall Plaza. Free coffee will be provided from 8 – 9:30 AM at George Howell Coffee in Boston Public Market for attendees and Hubway members. One more round of votes will be added to the total trip distance for each of the final unicorns, and a winner will be crowned! Prizes provided by Hubway, TD Hub On Wheels, Boston Red Sox, Dorchester Brewing Company, and The Ice Creamsmith The Hubway Data Challenge — April 10th deadline Calling all designers, programmers, artists, students, and data geeks! Over $7,500 worth of prizes will be awarded in the 2017 Hubway Data Challenge presented by Microsoft. Enter your work by the April 10th deadline to get in front of our expert judges and be eligible for the People’s Choice voting. The free Data Visualization Crash Course at General Assembly is sold out for tonight (3/16), but get on the waitlist in case any last minute space becomes available. Where To Ride Looking for places to ride Hubway? Want to brush up on your riding skills? Interested in a group ride?Check out our full list of upcoming local events, festivals, rides, and classes. Here are some coming up in the next few weeks. Thu 3/16, 6:30-8:30pm    GA + Hubway Present: Free Data Viz Crash Course General Assembly, 125 Summer Street, 13th Floor, Boston Tue 3/21, 5:30-7:30pm    Cycle Massachusetts 2017 Kickoff Party The Asgard Irish Pub & Restaurant, 350 Mass Ave, Cambridge Thu 3/23, 8:45am    Hubway Unicorn Madness Round 2 Launch Harvard Square Hubway station at Brattle St / Eliot St, Cambridge. Free coffee for Hubway members 8-9:30am at Crema Cafe Sat 3/25, 10am-4pm    HI HACKS Nursing Hackathon Cambridge Innovation Center, 1 Broadway, 4th Floor, Cambridge Sat 3/25, Noon-5pm    Minority Business Expo Reggie Lewis Track & Athletic Center, 1350 Tremont St, Roxbury Sat 3/29, 7:30-9:30pm    GA + Harpoon present: Code in the Brewery Harpoon Brewery Beer Hall, 306 Northern Ave, Boston Thu 3/30, 8:45am    Hubway Unicorn Madness Round 3 Launch Boston City Hall Plaza. Free coffee for Hubway members 8-9:30am at George Howell Coffee in Boston Public Market Sat 3/30, 7-9pm    Boston Comics Roundtable Cambridge Main Library, 449 Broadway, Community Room Fri 3/31, All Day    Walk / Ride Day Check-In Check in your commute, no matter where and how you traveled, for the chance at great bike-friendly rewards and prizes. Sat 4/1, 10am-2pm    Cambridge Winter Farmers Market Cambridge Community Center, 5 Callender Street Visit the full Hubway events calendar. Have an event we should include? Tweet it to us @Hubway with hashtag #WhereToRide.

Add to Reddit.

Tweet

Hubway Update

Calling all designers, programmers, civic minds, artists, students & data geeks!

Join this year’s challenge to bring more than 5 million Hubway trips to life — plus the chance to win great prizes! Boston, Brookline, Cambridge and Somerville invite you to get your creative juices flowing for the 2017 Hubway Data Challenge presented by Microsoft. Where and when do Hubway users ride? How far do they go? Which stations are most popular? Which days yield the most rides? How do rider patterns differ between members & casual riders? How does weather affect usage? Simply download the Hubway trips data and get as creative as you like. Enter your project by April 10th for your chance to win one of six prize packages (including cash) valued at over $1,200 each! FIND OUT MORE Save the Date — April 28th Our expert judges will award winners in 5 categories, plus a public vote for the People’s Choice award, at the 2017 Hubway Data Challenge presented by Microsoft Awards Ceremony & Seasonal Celebration at the Microsoft New England Research & Design (NERD) Center in Cambridge. More details to follow. Free Data Visualization Crash Course — March 16th Want to learn the basics of data visualization and get the skills you need to participate in the Challenge? You’re invited to a free Data Visualization Crash Course offered by our friends at General Assembly Boston. Space is limited to the first 100 people who sign up, so register early. Do You Enjoy Good (and Free) Food? Thanks to Data Challenge event sponsor B.GOOD, attendees of the General Assembly course and our NERD Center Awards Ceremony will have the opportunity to enjoy delicious wholesome food that people feel good about eating. As part of the Data Challenge prize package, winners will also receive 7 days of free B.GOOD via the B.GOOD Family App. Additional prizes provided by Hubway and Boston stations coming out of hibernation beginning next week More good news out of Hubway HQ! Weather permitting, stations based in Boston will begin deployment for the season next week. The full schedule is still to be determined, so check the Hubway blog for specific station updates to see when your favorite stations are returning. View the station map or your Hubway app to see real-time station, dock, and bike availability. Where To Ride Looking for places to ride Hubway? Want to brush up on your riding skills? Interested in a group ride? Check out our full list of upcoming local events, festivals, rides, and classes. Here are some coming up in the next few weeks. Mon 2/27, 11-11:30am    Public Sing Along Cambridge Main Library, 449 Broadway Mon 2/27, 1-2pm    Nonfiction Book Group Cambridge Main Library, 449 Broadway Tue 2/28, 6-8pm    Kendall Square Mobility Task Force Meeting One Main Street, 1st Floor, East Arcade Conference Room, Cambridge Tue 2/28, 7-8pm    Boudreau Knitting Group Boudreau Branch Library, 245 Concord Ave, Cambridge Tue 3/7, 7-9pm    Central Square Social Club Central Square Branch Library, 45 Pearl Street, Cambridge Sun 3/12, 9:30-11:30am    Poetry Out Loud Massachusetts State Finals Old South Meeting House, 310 Washington street, Boston Thu 3/16, 6:30-8:30pm    GA + Hubway Present: Free Data Visualization Crash Course General Assembly, 125 Summer Street, 13th Floor, Boston Visit the full Hubway events calendar. Have an event we should include? Tweet it to us @Hubway with hashtag #WhereToRide.

Add to Reddit.

Tweet

Hubway Closed For The Blizzard

Like you were going to ride them anyway (although with how much they weigh it would be pretty fun to go skidding around on them).

————-

Hello Hubway rider,

Due to a forecast of inclement weather, Hubway will temporarily close at 11 AM on Thursday, February 9th, for the safety of our riders and staff. Once the closure has begun, no bikes can be rented at the stations, though any bikes in use at that time can be returned to any Hubway station with an available dock.

Following the storm, Hubway field staff will be working to clear stations, after which the Cambridge stations will reopen. Stations in Boston, Brookline, and Somerville, which are already closed, will remain closed for the remainder of the season.

We understand that forecasts vary and may change, and we will make sure to get updates to you. Closure and re-opening information will be posted to the Hubway website, Facebook, and Twitter. We will also send another email when the system is ready to reopen. For real-time station, bike, and dock availability, visit our station map, or call to speak with a Member Service Representative at 1-855-9HUBWAY (948-2929).

Thank you for your cooperation,

​The Hubway Team

Add to Reddit.

Tweet