Biking in Boston

I was riding my bike around Saturday and saw a lot of people riding on hubway bikes. I didn't notice if they had helmets on, but a lot of them were riding on the sidewalk.
 
The sidewalks deal is another major issue. Even though it's really not supposed to be for tourists, the draw for tourists to use them is tremendous and what this means is unprotected, inexperienced people using these bikes.

There should be a safety info box or something that pops up before you can complete your transaction stating basic things like not riding on the sidewalks. It still won't stop people from doing it though.
 
Do we need to spray paint our sidewalks like Cambridge, now? Jesus...


Or maybe some well placed spike strips.
 
Thank you very much for all the information. I will definitely be using it in the very near future.

I noticed the CVS in Copley Square has a bunch of helmets prominently displayed near the front of the store, presumably for the benefit of visitors. Nice idea.
 
JohnAKeith said:
Thank you very much for all the information. I will definitely be using it in the very near future.

I noticed the CVS in Copley Square has a bunch of helmets prominently displayed near the front of the store, presumably for the benefit of visitors. Nice idea.
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Are you on a committee related to Hubway?

And that's great to hear.
 
The bike rack at Newbury/Hereford has finally been assembled. It's on the street taking up approximately three parking spaces from Newbury.
 
Shepard said:
The bike rack at Newbury/Hereford has finally been assembled. It's on the street taking up approximately three parking spaces from Newbury.
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How long before it is covered in tacky stickers and graffiti denouncing "corporate" bikes?
 
datadyne007 said:
Of the 10 people I saw using Hubway bikes today, only 1 was wearing a helmet. I fear that the lack of helmets might adversely effect the system, especially in the press/media.
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Of the hundreds millions of people who take showers every day, none use helmets, even though it could save thousands of lives a year.

Thousands!

Why the fear? DC has been open for a year, and theyve had a grand total of zero serious injuries (and obviously no deaths). DC is just as touristy as Boston and they have even less helmets (Hubway has "helmet partners")
 
datadyne007 said:
Time will tell.
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Heres another anecdote for you.

Mexico City. Worst traffic in the world. Chaos.


Currently, there are 1,300 bikes in circulation, out of 90 stations.

There are 27,000 active users. Three thousand other people are on a waiting list because the system has reached capacity

Thus far, among the thousands of users, there have been only seven reported injuries and one robbery, according to the city’s Secretariat of the Environment.
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Read more: http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/li...shes-in-all-places-mexico-city/#ixzz1Tq8UGAv7


(They use a clearchannel (ew) system which ONLY allows annual/monthy membership, no day rides. )
 
Just stumbled into the new Hubway racks at South Station. Looks really great.

A few observations...

There are half as many bikes as racks and I read a note in this thread that more bikes are coming. But also they may leave a lot of empty racks to ensure a free rack is available if dropoffs exceed pickups.

Regarding helmets for renters, there is a large map near the racks with locations throughout Boston to buy a helmet. If I recall correctly, I think CVS locations were involved in the promo for helmet sales.

This Hubway thing looks like a major plus for Boston. I like the look of the racks, the bikes and the pricing scheme.
 
Took my first real ride today from prudential to rowes wharf at rush hour. I can't say enough good things about the bikes - they are solid, comfortable and smooth. The system is smart and efficient. I've never been able to effectively bike with my laptop bag before but these bikes have front bungee cord racks that held my quite heavy and bulky bag tightly and with balance.

Another observation: how do tourists get on these things
and find their way around - and do so safely?? I know the streets and can get in the mind of Boston drivers. But a tourist from Nebraska...?
 
Has anyone actually seen any truck driving around keeping bikes evenly distributed? As far as I can tell, this isn't happening, and stations are ending up full or empty. Unless it's so successful they just can't keep up.
 
Helmets: I believe BIXI Montréal initially trialled loaning out helmets and the idea was universally panned. Even with disinfecting techniques, you'll have a hard time convincing a large percentage of the population that the helmet is clean. Also, anecdotally, my helmet can get rather skunky after a couple of rides. Albeit, I'm usually riding at least 20-30 miles, sometimes upwards of 70, but I would only feel comfortable wearing my own helmet, unless I knew that thing was thoroughly washed. But, that's just me and, if I had a bike sharing membership I'd probably start carrying my helmet with me when I felt there was a reasonable chance I'd end up on a bike at some point during the day.

I also don't believe this has had a negative impact on BIXI in Montréal. Granted, MTL is miles ahead of Boston (and most North American cities) for the improvements they've made in cycling infrastructure - though, Boston is catching up - I was there over the weekend and most BIXI cyclists were not wearing helmets. I have yet to read or hear of negative press toward the program. I believe most accept (and rightfully so) that if you choose to ride, it's your responsibility to do so safely. If you don't want to wear a helmet, that's your prerogative (there are no helmet laws for those over 18), but you do so at your own risk.

That said, I also think BIXI riders tend to be a bit more respectful of laws. The clunky nature of the bikes means you can't be making fast manoeuvres, like the perennial favorite, the bike courier. Most BIXI riders that I've seen in Montreal and Toronto tend to be a bit more leisurely in their trips, meaning that while they can't prevent what drivers around them do, they generally aren't putting themselves in harm's way.

Best of luck to the Hubway. It will take time to become a success but I think if executed properly, it has the chops to be a useful addition to the transportation options in Boston. I hope to try it out next summer. I'm also a big proponent of bike sharing systems. The only reason I haven't got a BIXI membership in Toronto is that they haven't expanded to my neighbourhood yet (and probably won't for another couple of years). But, if and when they do, I'll perish any notion of getting a transit pass during the summer months and rely on BIXI and tokens (yes, we still use tokens in Toronto).
 
Shepard said:
Another observation: how do tourists get on these things
and find their way around - and do so safely?? I know the streets and can get in the mind of Boston drivers. But a tourist from Nebraska...?
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That's precisely my point. Yeah, if you're a resident of the city you can carry a helmet clipped to your backpack, but if you're a tourist, you're SOL on safety. The tourists are going to inherently be inexperienced and unaware of how this city works, both geographically (GPS on your phone will obviously do the trick) and mentally (the mindset of Boston drivers- parking in bike lanes, opening car doors without looking etc). They (the tourists) are the ones that need the helmets the most.

I also know how the media works in this city and they will spin even the slightest, most common accident into this anti-movement.
 
A few days ago I said...

jass said:
There is ZERO clearance between the last dock and the parking space next to it. If a bike hasnt been hit by next week, I will eat one.
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Universalhub says
hubsmash.jpg



I guess I wont be eating any bikes.
 
Is it just me or are more people (non tourists) this summer riding their bikes in Boston and Northern Brookline?
 
I noticed that last Summer, seemed like about 2-2.5 times as many riders. It is definitely increasing quickly, which is a big deal. At a certain point, we will reach that critical mass and cycling becomes one of the major transportation modes.
 
Well I've found that riding a bicycle through the city on weekdays is faster than walking or driving throughout the city--and I do observe the laws of the road. I think as the city continues to repave many of its major artery roads (Mass Ave, Tremont, Boylston, etc.) and stripe most of them with a dedicated bike lane, more people will make the shift to bicycle.
 
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