BOSTON – Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh and the Boston Transportation Department (BTD) announced the locations of the new, expanded locations for Bluebikes, the City’s public bike share program.
This year’s expansion will bring service to new parts of West Roxbury, Roslindale, and Dorchester, and provide more stations within the existing service area. By the end of 2019, Boston will install more than 50 new stations. Planned station locations can be found on boston.gov.
“The Bluebikes system is a terrific resource that promotes a healthy and emission-free transportation option in our City, and I’m pleased that this expansion will make this service convenient for more Boston residents and visitors,” said Mayor Walsh. “BTD and neighborhood residents worked together to determine the best locations for the new bike share stations and I look forward to more communities using Bluebikes later this year.”
The Boston Transportation Department has been planning this expansion with residents and community organizations since the fall of 2017. BTD’s Active Transportation team has hosted 42 public meetings and workshops, attended a dozen neighborhood meetings, and met one-on-one with many community members and stakeholders. Last year, BTD completed phase one of the bike share expansion, adding 51 stations across the City. Currently, 85 percent of Boston residents are within a 5-7 minute walk from a Bluebikes station, up from 67 percent in 2017. This is an increase of over 116,000 residents.
Last year, there were 1.7 million trips taken by Bluebikes, a new record for the system. This year promises to have even higher ridership, with Bluebikes riders regularly surpassing over 10,000 daily trips this summer. Bluebikes is owned and managed by the municipalities of Boston, Brookline, Cambridge, Everett, and Somerville. Collectively, the cities and town will offer 345 stations by the end of 2019, a 79 percent increase from 2017.
Mayor Walsh’s FY20 budget included $1 million of capital funding to bring bike share to parts of Boston for the first time, including locations in Dorchester, Roslindale, and West Roxbury. Mayor Walsh’s FY20 budget also allocates $10.6 million for spending on bike lanes and projects, including more than $1 million in new funding going towards accelerating the design and construction of major bike corridors. Mayor Walsh previously announced the planned expansion of the Bluebikes system in May.
Nearly $1 million in funds used to support this expansion is gained from fees collected from Transportation Network Companies, such as Uber and Lyft, that operate in Boston. Mayor Walsh recently offered testimony before the Joint Committee on Financial Services at the Massachusetts State House citing the need to better align TNCs with Boston’s mobility goals outlined in Go Boston 2030. Currently, TNCs pay an assessment of 20 cents per ride that is distributed among municipalities, the Commonwealth’s general transportation fund, and the taxi and livery industry. Testimony provided by Mayor Walsh supported legislation sponsored by Representative Michael Moran and Senator Joseph Boncore that outlines a plan to incentivize shared trips, decrease congestion and reduce carbon emissions. In addition to the TNC funds made available for bike share expansion, more than $2.6 million in fees from TNCs is currently being used to increase safety on Boston’s streets with better sidewalks, markings and intersections, and nearly $324,000 is helping to improve the reliability of Boston’s transportation system with the use of smarter traffic signals and better curb management.
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, through its title sponsorship, has supported the expansion of the public bike share system in Boston, Brookline, Cambridge, and Somerville. This year, BCBSMA has made additional investment in Boston to expand Bluebikes access at many Community Health Centers across the City. BTD and BCBSMA are collaborating with the Dimock Health Center and Codman Square Health Center to offer additional programming and supports for residents interested in biking.
BTD offers bike programs year-round. This summer, residents are invited to join one of two bike rides exploring parts of Boston. A free Bluebikes trip and helmet will be provided to those who register in advance.
BTD also provides opportunities for adult women and gender nonconforming individuals to learn how to to ride a bike or brush up on their skills. Upcoming learn-to-bike clinics include:
- Wednesday, July 31 in Hyde Park
- Wednesday, August 7 in Charlestown
- Saturday, September 14 in Lower Roxbury
- Saturday, September 28 ion East Boston
- Saturday, October 12 in Lower Roxbury
An annual Bluebikes pass is $99 per year, granting users unlimited 45-minute trips. Monthly, daily, and single trip passes are also available. People who participate in public assistance programs, or who meet income-eligibility requirements, are able to purchase a 30-day pass for $5 or a year-long pass for $50. Bostonians experiencing homelessness or living in transitional housing are eligible for a year-long pass for just $5.
Bluebikes is public transportation by bike. Owned and jointly governed by the municipalities of Boston, Brookline, Cambridge, Everett, and Somerville, Bluebikes is a fast, fun, and affordable transportation option. Today, users can ride any of the 2550 bikes to and from the 296 stations across the region. By the end of 2019, the municipalities will provide 3,300 bikes and 325 stations for their residents, workers, and visitors. Since launching in 2011, 8.5 million trips have been taken on bike share, including more than 1.2 million trips to date in 2019.
