New (Buffered) Bike Lanes In Back Bay

Got this in the email, weeee! Thanks Avery.

I like the idea that the new bike share could be driving bike lane placement, more lanes means more riders for the system, means more lanes, means bikes win!

——————–

I noticed this addition on my way home from the grocery store this afternoon. Bike lanes from Boylston St. to Beacon St. along Dartmouth St. (Maybe further south than Boylston but I did not investigate). In the small block that is the Commonwealth Mall (the promenade between east- and west-bound traffic on Comm Ave) there is no street parking, so the lane shifts to the curb… with a painted buffer between the lane and traffic!!! How cool is that?

My early speculation: massive Hubway Station in Copley Square drives need for infrastructure in tourist-and commuter-heavy areas of Boston? This would mean more bikes bring more riders who are cause for more infrastructure solutions.

So I’m on the fence about bike lanes in general. But at the least I have to say this striping narrows the dangerously wide lanes on Dartmouth St.

Add to Reddit.

Tweet

Join Hubway Early Get A Discount

Got this in the email, seems you can get a discount for the new Hubway system if you join early.

————-

Sign Up for Bike Share Now and Get 30% Off

Dear Friends,

Bike sharing is finally here! Opening day for New Balance Hubway is next Tuesday July, 26^th.

If you purchase your annual membership in July, we will give you:

• Membership at a 30% discount for $60  (instead of $85)
• Invitation to take part in the inaugural ride with Mayor Menino at the launch event on City Hall Plaza on July 26th from 11AM-1:30PM.

Please visit www.thehubway.com to enroll for membership. You will receive your invite to the inaugural ride within 24 hours of signing up. There are limited spots for inaugural riders so please consider becoming a New Balance Hubway member today to secure your place.

Add to Reddit.

Tweet

Bike Jobs: Bike Share Program Hiring For New Positions

Seems the people who are going to be implementing Bostons bike share program are hiring. See here for more info.

————————

• “The Hubway” Head Bike Mechanic (Boston, Massachusetts)
• “The Hubway” Marketing and Member Care Coordinator (Boston, Massachusetts)
• “The Hubway” Station Technician (Boston, Massachusetts)
• “The Hubway” Assembly Labor (Boston, Massachusetts)

Add to Reddit.

Tweet

Harvard To Sponsor 5 Hubway Stations

Got this in the email, the bike share info is pouring out all over the place now.

———————-

More info here

Harvard University today announced it will sponsor five bike share stations in Allston and Longwood as part of the newly launched regional Bike Share program, Hubway. Harvard has also committed to sponsoring four bike share stations in the City of Cambridge when the bike share program expands regionally in Phase II of the initiative. The program was officially introduced this afternoon by Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino and state officials.

“Over the past four years we have taken great strides toward making Boston a city that welcomes and encourages bicycling, but this innovative bike share system may be the most significant step yet,” said Mayor
Thomas M. Menino. “We have worked tirelessly to build the infrastructure necessary to support such a system and we are confident that there is no better time to make Hubway a reality. I want to thank Harvard University for its tremendous support of this endeavor.”

The locations of the bike share stations are still yet to be determined however Kris Locke of Harvard’s CommuterChoice program says the University plans to sponsor four stations in Allston and one in the Longwood area. The Hubway bike share program is a joint initiative of the MAPC (Metropolitan Area Planning Council), City of Boston, the MBTA, and MassDOT.

“Harvard has a longstanding commitment to sustainability and to using our campus as a living laboratory to support innovative solutions,” said Christine Heenan, Vice President for Public Affairs and Communications. “We are thrilled to partner with the cities of Boston and Cambridge on this initiative, and to work to reduce the environmental footprint of the University.”

“Ultimately, Bike Share is part of Harvard’s commitment to sustainability and reducing our environmental impact by expanding efficient transportation choices, promoting active healthy transportation options, and providing a link to public transit,” said Lisa Hogarty, Vice President of Campus Services.

Harvard’s commitment to bicycling spreads throughout its 12 Schools and multiple campuses. There are covered bike parking locations on Frances Avenue and at the Harvard Law School, Harvard Graduate School of Design, and Longwood campuses. Bike racks throughout the campus provide an opportunity for cyclists to lock their bikes safely while at class or work. In 2009, Harvard collaborated with the City of Boston on the design and implementation of bike lanes on North Harvard Street and in 2010 the University collaborated with the City to stripe bike lanes and install a cycle track on Western Avenue. These transportation-related efforts are coordinated through Campus Services CommuterChoice program, Office for Sustainability, planning office and other programs run individually by Harvard’s Schools and departments.

Add to Reddit.

Tweet

City To Announce Bike Share “Hubway” Today

Seems I called it yesterday when I postulated that the city was going to be launching its bike share program today at its cryptic meeting.

Boston officials said the system, to be called Hubway, will open in July with 600 bicycles and 61 stations in the city, though they envision growing in a few years to as many as 5,000 bikes at more than 300 kiosks, from Brookline to Somerville.(via)

This has been in the works forever, and I am glad they finally have locked down a vendor and a date. If you want your head to explode check out the comment section for the Boston Globe (via link above). You can see my impressions of the DC bike share, which I got the chance to take a look at here.

A lot of people feel like this is going to result in blood filling the streets, but anyone who rides in Boston on a regular basis will tell you that the biking is easiest when their are other cyclists around. More cyclists = more safety, not the other way around.

I am going to go out of my way to smile and wave to every single person I see on one of these bikes. I am going to go out of my way to give them tips for riding, to help them navigate, just in general be super helpful and nice to anyone on a bike share bike.

The reason, I think this is the perfect gateway drug to people trying cycling for the first time, and the more cyclists we have the better. I encourage you all to do the same. Every person on a bike is one less person in a car. We’re here, we’re geared, get used to it!

Add to Reddit.

Tweet