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.

———————————-

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.

Add to Reddit.

Tweet

Dorchester Is Getting Its First Bike Shop (Pre-Grand Opening, Opening)

Well not totally first, but first operating bike shop in a long time. As someone who used to live waaaaay down in Dorchester (I was at the north base of the Neponset river bridge), I can tell you it will be great having a bike shop open and operating in Dorchester. It used to be a long ride to the nearest shop.

Stop in and show them some love, buy something! Tell them BostonBiker.org sent you.

From Dot Bike (now with new site!)

Ashmont Cycles at 551A Talbot Ave. opens Tuesday! The hours Tues. will be 10am-6pm. The shop is in Peabody Sq. at the intersection with Dorchester Ave. next to the Ashmont Grill.

Note that this is not the official Grand Opening, which will be in a few weeks in warmer riding weather.

Add to Reddit.

Tweet

Snow Biking!

Lauren sent in this video of her enjoying the snow several days ago. Wee snow biking!

If you have pictures of video of you enjoying the winter snow leave a link in the comments.

Add to Reddit.

Tweet

DotBike Reveals Details On New Dot. Ave. Bike Lanes, Sharrows And Bike Boxes!

I used to live down in Dorchester, and would go up and down Dot. Ave. every day, I can say the following is very good news.

From DotBike

The plans have been finalized for bike lanes and sharrows on Dorchester Avenue. They are expected to be installed by the end of July. From the north, the lanes start at Broadway and end at Hoyt St., which is part of the Glover’s Corner intersection that includes Freeport Street. There are a few blocks of sharrows instead of bike lanes around Andrew Square. The sharrows continue from Hoyt St. south to where Dot Ave ends at the intersection of Adam’s St. and Washington St. in Lower Mills.

Plans for intersection redesigns (which will be completed later) include bike boxes in Fields Corner at Centre, Park and Gibson Streets, at Glover’s Corner and Savin Hill Ave. and in Andrew Square.

It’s riding weather, but not all of us Dot Bike regulars ride on The Avenue daily. So if you see bike lanes painted, please let us know at [email protected].

Bike lanes will also be painted on the new smooooooth Talbot Ave. later this summer. No date set yet.

Hope everyone is enjoying the long sunny days for riding!

This is great news, and hopefully will allow for nice north/south travel through Dorchester. Also would be a great connector to points south like the Neponset river green way, and the harbor walk.

We are getting precariously close to having a decent bike lane system, if this pace keeps up for a couple more years Boston might be knocking on the door of Cambridge as the regional bike infrastructure leader. I for one can’t wait!

Add to Reddit.

Tweet

Mass. Ave. Will Get Bike Lanes!

Announced today at bike friday, MassAve will get bike lanes!

I will have video soon, but for not you can read about it in the globe.

EDIT: Here are the video’s I promised

Add to Reddit.

Tweet