Bike-Sharing program to start in Boston? Can this be real?
Mar 3rd, 2009, 10:01 AM
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Bike-Sharing program to start in Boston? Can this be real?
Boston Globe article today:
http://www.boston.com/news/local/bre..._takes_fi.html
The city announced today that it was seeking proposals for the program, which would make 1,500 bikes available at 150 stations in Boston. Eventually, officials hope the system will include 6,000 bikes available at 600 stations in the metropolitan area.
It is going after the Paris Velib program. Sorry, but I think it's a rather dumb idea for Boston.
1) There are no bike lanes in most of Boston. Perhaps a few in Cambridge.
2) The streets in Boston are one of the narrowest in the US. There's simply not enough room on the streets for both cars and bicycles to share. When I drive behind a bicycle, I have to drive my car into the on-coming lane in order to pass the bike - yes, streets are that narrow.
3) Weather is so cold here for so many months that it's not practical to bike.
4) Boston drivers are one of the most aggressive and rude in the US.
5) The streets are in such sad shape in winter through most of spring (tons and tons of potholes) that they are not safe to bike on.
6) During the winter, the snowbanks occupy part of the street, making the streets even narrower than they already are.
I am not anti-bicycle, in fact, my husband rides his bike to work daily, weather-permitting. However, even on his 1.5mile trip to work, he bikes ON the sidewalk because the streets are so dangerous (people driving 40mph on a narrow street).
http://www.boston.com/news/local/bre..._takes_fi.html
The city announced today that it was seeking proposals for the program, which would make 1,500 bikes available at 150 stations in Boston. Eventually, officials hope the system will include 6,000 bikes available at 600 stations in the metropolitan area.
It is going after the Paris Velib program. Sorry, but I think it's a rather dumb idea for Boston.
1) There are no bike lanes in most of Boston. Perhaps a few in Cambridge.
2) The streets in Boston are one of the narrowest in the US. There's simply not enough room on the streets for both cars and bicycles to share. When I drive behind a bicycle, I have to drive my car into the on-coming lane in order to pass the bike - yes, streets are that narrow.
3) Weather is so cold here for so many months that it's not practical to bike.
4) Boston drivers are one of the most aggressive and rude in the US.
5) The streets are in such sad shape in winter through most of spring (tons and tons of potholes) that they are not safe to bike on.
6) During the winter, the snowbanks occupy part of the street, making the streets even narrower than they already are.
I am not anti-bicycle, in fact, my husband rides his bike to work daily, weather-permitting. However, even on his 1.5mile trip to work, he bikes ON the sidewalk because the streets are so dangerous (people driving 40mph on a narrow street).
Mar 3rd, 2009, 10:06 AM
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BTW, most Bostonians choose to use public transportation to get around if they can anyway, as we all know how bad traffic is and how expensive parking in town is.
So this bike-sharing idea is aimed for people who normally drive into Boston? I mean, for commuters who live out in the suburbs to ride a bike into town? If I lived inside the city, I would normally take the subway anyway, so switching the subway for a bike would NOT ease congestion.
So this bike-sharing idea is aimed for people who normally drive into Boston? I mean, for commuters who live out in the suburbs to ride a bike into town? If I lived inside the city, I would normally take the subway anyway, so switching the subway for a bike would NOT ease congestion.
Mar 3rd, 2009, 10:23 AM
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And what will they do with the bikes when we get snowstorm? Shovel the whole bike docking station and between the bikes? House all the bike stations in some sort of shelters (like bus shelter, ie more $$$)?
It makes more sense to me if they close off a bunch of streets and make them bicycle-only streets. Bike lanes won't work as drivers will continue to ignore them, just like what they do now in Cambridge anyway. I can't imagine driving down a narrow one-way street in town, and see bicycles going both directions on both sides of the street.
It makes more sense to me if they close off a bunch of streets and make them bicycle-only streets. Bike lanes won't work as drivers will continue to ignore them, just like what they do now in Cambridge anyway. I can't imagine driving down a narrow one-way street in town, and see bicycles going both directions on both sides of the street.
Mar 4th, 2009, 02:18 AM
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Re: agajohnson's response - this is the funniest advertising I have seen here in a while - this person has responded to quite a few posts with the same unrelated message. Perhaps s/he should be the one on a bike in congested Boston.
Back to original topic - while there are some serious bike commuters in Boston area, I fail to see how this bike venture has a chance of success for reasons mentioned above. As long as no public money is being spent on it, then someone is free to waste their money on the idea.
Back to original topic - while there are some serious bike commuters in Boston area, I fail to see how this bike venture has a chance of success for reasons mentioned above. As long as no public money is being spent on it, then someone is free to waste their money on the idea.
Mar 4th, 2009, 05:55 AM
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Hi gail & Jaya-
I live about 10 miles west of the city, so I suppose if there's a bike station out here, I can grab one and bike into town, via the bike path along the river. But once off the bike path, it's just so dangerous to be biking on the streets of Boston. This *could* be an option for me because public transportation doesn't run very well out here. But it's too cold to bike 6 months out of the year, and too hot/humid to bike another 2 months out of the year.
Another *convenience* route would be getting between Harvard/Cambridge and Copley. Right now, there's either bus #1 which doesn't go near Copley, or one has to trek all the way in town via the T and change lines. But the idea of riding a bike on the Mass Ave Bridge = suicide.
With the budget crisis in City Hall and laying off Gov't workers, it's a dumb idea of spend $ on this right now. They'd be better off using the $ to improve the public transportation routes and perhaps increase frequency or increase routes. Not sure if you read the comments in the Boston Globe article, but people were quoting that the Paris Velib system has pretty much replaced all the original bikes due to theft and vandalism.
I live about 10 miles west of the city, so I suppose if there's a bike station out here, I can grab one and bike into town, via the bike path along the river. But once off the bike path, it's just so dangerous to be biking on the streets of Boston. This *could* be an option for me because public transportation doesn't run very well out here. But it's too cold to bike 6 months out of the year, and too hot/humid to bike another 2 months out of the year.
Another *convenience* route would be getting between Harvard/Cambridge and Copley. Right now, there's either bus #1 which doesn't go near Copley, or one has to trek all the way in town via the T and change lines. But the idea of riding a bike on the Mass Ave Bridge = suicide.
With the budget crisis in City Hall and laying off Gov't workers, it's a dumb idea of spend $ on this right now. They'd be better off using the $ to improve the public transportation routes and perhaps increase frequency or increase routes. Not sure if you read the comments in the Boston Globe article, but people were quoting that the Paris Velib system has pretty much replaced all the original bikes due to theft and vandalism.
Mar 4th, 2009, 06:09 AM
#8
yk, I agree that this is wholly impractical. Anything a tourist would want to see is on such congested streets/sidewalks that bikes just won't work. And I agree that natives working in the city just take the subway or bus. It's unsafe and unwise to even think you can navigate these areas in say June/July/August when we can barely walk around there?
I used to work in an office that overlooked the Old State House (which is in tourist central on the Freedom Trail and the Financial District)...you have no idea how many bike messengers I saw fly over hoods of cars at the intersection of Congress/State/Washington!
Please don't get me started on putting the money toward the T...I am now in month 3 of no heat on the 7:20 train out of Beverly. They'll probably heed our complaints sometime mid-July and have the A/C pumping hot air!
I used to work in an office that overlooked the Old State House (which is in tourist central on the Freedom Trail and the Financial District)...you have no idea how many bike messengers I saw fly over hoods of cars at the intersection of Congress/State/Washington!
Please don't get me started on putting the money toward the T...I am now in month 3 of no heat on the 7:20 train out of Beverly. They'll probably heed our complaints sometime mid-July and have the A/C pumping hot air!
Mar 4th, 2009, 06:30 AM
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I think it could work if the entire city was committed to it like Amsterdam is. Amsterdam is an old city with narrow streets and all those canals too. But its nearly impossible to get Bostonians to change their habits and the city has no money to commit to the program.
Mar 4th, 2009, 05:03 PM
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I was just in Boston today - 93 south to Storrow Drive to The Fenway to Longwood Medical Area - nothing I drove past looked bike friendly. These streets are barely CAR friendly, no room at all for a bike.
The brains who run Boston have got to find better things to do with their time.
How about smoothing out the cement on the Storrow Drive exit? It's like driving over a very long wash board!
The brains who run Boston have got to find better things to do with their time.
How about smoothing out the cement on the Storrow Drive exit? It's like driving over a very long wash board!
Mar 6th, 2009, 09:24 AM
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I would love to see the system come to Boston, and I think Bostonians would take to it as have the Parisians.
I'm surprised to read the negativity. I live in Boston and the system benefits residents more than people who drive in from out of town, so perhaps that is the difference?
Here's another viewpoint about the doom and gloom reports about the Paris system: http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/02/1...y-exaggerated/
I'm surprised to read the negativity. I live in Boston and the system benefits residents more than people who drive in from out of town, so perhaps that is the difference?
Here's another viewpoint about the doom and gloom reports about the Paris system: http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/02/1...y-exaggerated/
Mar 6th, 2009, 03:45 PM
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cw, I would LOVE to see biking become a reality, but the roads I typically drive in Boston are already so tight with auto traffic, that a casual biker might have a tough time navigating safely. I only see an occasional bike courier and it doesn't look easy.
Mar 6th, 2009, 05:49 PM
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Jaya, I know people who commute to the medical area every day. I don't know if I'd ever feel confident enough to do that but a lot of people do. Bicycles are not allowed on Storrow Drive but there is a bike path along the road.
Paris streets seem to present more of a challenge to bicycles and drivers than Boston. I just don't want to write off a potentially good idea without seeing if it can work. I'd rather hop on a bike than wait for a bus and then wait in traffic to go two or three miles.
We agree, I think, that for this to work there would have to be a concerted effort for those involved to make it safe. I guess I'm sometimes a silly optimist!
Paris streets seem to present more of a challenge to bicycles and drivers than Boston. I just don't want to write off a potentially good idea without seeing if it can work. I'd rather hop on a bike than wait for a bus and then wait in traffic to go two or three miles.
We agree, I think, that for this to work there would have to be a concerted effort for those involved to make it safe. I guess I'm sometimes a silly optimist!
Mar 6th, 2009, 07:48 PM
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In a perfect world, I'd love to have a bike-sharing program in Boston. But the reality is, weather prohibits bike-riding for at least half of the year, unless you are die-hard cyclist. Roads are extremely dangerous, between drivers who don't stop at red lights, don't look before turning, and don't think twice before double or triple-parking.
Unless the city gets rid of all on-street parking meters and turn the parking lanes into bike lanes, with BARRIERS separating the bike lanes from car lanes, I don't see this a safe venture at all.
I spent 2 hours on public transportation today, just to get home (9 miles W of downtown) from the Symphony Hall. Sure I'd love to be able to ride a bike instead, which will only take under 1 hour. But chances are, I'd get hit by cars or flip over from hitting a huge pothole before I would ever make it home.
Unless the city gets rid of all on-street parking meters and turn the parking lanes into bike lanes, with BARRIERS separating the bike lanes from car lanes, I don't see this a safe venture at all.
I spent 2 hours on public transportation today, just to get home (9 miles W of downtown) from the Symphony Hall. Sure I'd love to be able to ride a bike instead, which will only take under 1 hour. But chances are, I'd get hit by cars or flip over from hitting a huge pothole before I would ever make it home.
Jul 19th, 2011, 06:19 PM
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TTT
For better or worse, the bike-sharing program in Boston is ready to launch next week, Tuesday, July 26, 2011. Called the HUBWAY, there will be 61 stations w/600 bikes in the initial phase. Bike docking-stations are being installed this week.
Annual membership is $85
there's also 1-day membership and 3-day membership.
First 30 minutes of ride is free.
More details here:
http://www.thehubway.com/
For better or worse, the bike-sharing program in Boston is ready to launch next week, Tuesday, July 26, 2011. Called the HUBWAY, there will be 61 stations w/600 bikes in the initial phase. Bike docking-stations are being installed this week.
Annual membership is $85
there's also 1-day membership and 3-day membership.
First 30 minutes of ride is free.
More details here:
http://www.thehubway.com/
