The launch of Hubways bike sharing service in July (which we covered
here) has changed the way in which Bostonians and tourists
alike travel around our city. Hubway arrived on the scene about
four months ago and has made an immediate impact to such an extent
that the company is already planning for expansion. This green way
of travelling is a lot like the European style of bike sharing and
brings a healthy and convenient way to quickly get to hotspot
locations all throughout the city. These 60 stations are
strategically placed for the benefit of the business person on
their way to work or the casual sightseer on their way to Bostons South End for
lunch.
With 600 bicycles and 140,000 trips embarked on in the past four
months, its clear that this fun alternative to walking, taking the
T or driving is catching on. As we head into the new year, Hubway
is planning on adding an additional 30 stations of some 300
bicycles around the outskirts of the Greater Boston Area. Upcoming
expansions include:
- 20 stations in Cambridge in the most
densely crowded pedestrian areas to alleviate such walking traffic
such as Central, Inman, Porter, Harvard, and Lechmere and Kendall
Squares - 8 stations in Somerville in locations such as one near Ball,
one in Davis, Teele, Union and Porter Squares, City Hall, Conway
Park and Kirkland Village - 2 stations in Brookline at the
Coolidge Corner and Brookline Village
Receiving much support from Boston Mayor Tom Menino, Hubway has
garnered the backing of New Balance as its primary sponsor, along
with federal and state grants and other means of fundraising from
Harvard and MIT, to name a few. This is clearly an exciting time
for Massachusetts. The ascending 3,650 annual members only make up
45% of the bicycle trips made and the amount of memberships is
bound to continue growing with the increased popularity. The
abundance of bicycles and the recognition of these stations is
spreading rapidly, we hope you come join the ride!
More information: Boston.com, The Hubway