Help MassBike Evaluate The Blue Line

A while ago I noted that MassBike had gotten the bike hours extended on the blue line, now they need your help to make sure its working!

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We need help from our members and supporters to make sure that this program continues indefinitely. To evaluate the new program, the MBTA has asked East Boston community organizations and MassBike to help count bicycles and evaluate train occupancy rates during peak hours – information that is essential to making the new extended hours permanent.

Go here to see the rest.

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MassBike Responsible For Blue Line Changes

A while ago I bumped into the news about the new bike hours on the blue line, seems the good people at MassBike were responsible for these nice changes.

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You CAN Get There From Here (With Your Bike) On The Blue Line!

Next Wednesday, May 18, 2011, state, city, local officials, and community organizations will join Transportation officials at Maverick Station to officially announce the Bikes on the Blue Line Pilot Program. The MBTA, in collaboration with the Chelsea Creek Action Group (CCAG) and MassBike initiated a six-month pilot project on the Blue Line beginning March 19, 2011 expanding bicycle access during rush hours. Bicycles will be allowed on the Blue Line at all times except from 7-9AM towards Bowdoin and 4-6PM towards Wonderland weekdays. The changes provides an additional two hours of bike access during peak directions (inbound in the morning and outbound in the afternoon), and an additional six hours of bike access in the reverse-peak.

Bring your bike to the event, then you can take it on the Blue Line to downtown Boston DURING EVENING RUSH HOUR!

The MBTA recognizes that Boston Harbor poses a barrier to cyclists to and from East Boston and welcomes the opportunity to use existing Blue Line capacity to improve customer mobility. This pilot project allows residents of Blue Line communities to travel a few stops by public transportation and then complete their trip by bike, opening up more economic and educational opportunities that are not easily reached directly by T. The project also promotes more bikeable communities, which leads to more livable, healthier communities and reduced pollution.

This pilot project is exciting for the communities on the Blue Line because of the collaboration between the MBTA, organizations such as MassBike and the Chelsea Creek Action Group, and community residents. CCAG is a grassroots organization formed by East Boston and Chelsea residents, the Chelsea Green Space and Recreation Committee, and the Neighborhood of Affordable Housing (NOAH). Youth from CCAG’s Environmental Chelsea Creek Crew (E3C) have been the lead advocates for the Blue Line pilot, working together with MassBike and the MBTA. Ultimately, this pilot project serves as a model for agencies and government entities to work with community groups and other stakeholders to achieve excellent public transportation and improve the city.

This pilot project will be in effect on the Blue Line ONLY; unfortunately, bicycles remain restricted on the Orange and Red Lines between 7-10AM and 4-7PM weekdays. We recognize that challenges remain to expanding rush hour bicycle access on the other lines due to higher ridership and crowding, but we hope that the lessons we learn on the Blue Line will help us find solutions. This is the latest chapter in MassBike’s ongoing efforts to help bicyclists take full advantage of our public transportation system.

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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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