Biking in Boston

I was thinking about that too. Thousands of members and the system only has 600 bikes. It's likely that at least 300 of those bikes will be tied up for the whole day, if not every single bike on the system, leaving thousands of riders stranded on the grand kickoff day.
 
datadyne007 said:
I was thinking about that too. Thousands of members and the system only has 600 bikes. It's likely that at least 300 of those bikes will be tied up for the whole day, if not every single bike on the system, leaving thousands of riders stranded on the grand kickoff day.
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Data - -sometimes you need to break some virtual eggs to make an Augmented Reality Omelet
 
Lurker said:
The Prudential station on the Boylston Side and Buswell Street station from last year have yet to be reinstalled. Leaving #60-61's locations a mystery.
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Hm, those stations were marked as "planned station" (grey) 3 days ago. Yesterday when I made the post I just looked that all the stations were green, it didnt even occur to me that they would take them off the planned list!

Im sure the BU students who subscribed expecting the Buswell station be available in March, and now find themselves almost in April with no sign of it are thrilled.


And yeah, everything Hubway says states 61 stations, but that was NEVER the case last year, and its not the case now. Youre absolutely right that its a potential lawsuit.

I also agree that waiving fees on "launch" date (wasnt that 15 days ago...?) is a poor idea. That means no incentive to return the bikes, meaning the system wont have any availability on its big day.

Terrible message to send.

Its amazing how lengthy amateur hour is over at hubway.
 
I called them out on Facebook. Let's see what the response is...

Curious if other members are catching on too.
 
Im in philly right now. I thought philly had no bike infrastructure, but there are buffered bike lanes everywhere. Saw a green bike lane too.


Edit: re Buswell and facebook post...

Just checked out their Facebook page and its full of complaints. Someone asked about the Buswell stop and got a non-answer.

"There have been some stations moved around. There a few more going in over the next few days. Please keep an eye on the map for where those stations will be.
Also, this summer's expansion into Camb, Brkline, & Somer will happen as Boston expands as well. You'll see an even more dense map of locations. Density in bike sharing is key."


So Hubway is saying the station has been eliminated, but they wont come out and say it...? How about some honesty? "Sorry, that station was underused, so weve taken it elsewhere (but not installed it). Shame you purchased your membership based on availability of that, and an understanding that the map was accurate. We could have made a timely expansion that would have ensured all stations were better used, but instead we're going to not do anything.. Have a great weekend!"
 
I noticed this morning that the Dudley station no longer exists as well.
 
"Town of Brookline Massachusetts
TRANSPORTATION PLANNING INTERN – HUBWAY
Department of Planning & Community Development
The Town of Brookline, an urban/suburban community of 60,000 located abutting the City of Boston, is seeking candidates for an internship to work on launching the Town’s portion of the regional bicycle sharing system. The position will be approximately 10 hours a week, from April until August 2012.
Specific responsibilities may include:
• Working with local businesses to develop a system for Hubway users to easily access bicycle helmets
• Working with stakeholders to plan for launch events for the system
• Solicit contributions from local businesses to fund launch events and ongoing operations of Hubway in Brookline
• Working with the vendor to finalize station sites and coordinating installation of up to four Hubway stations in Brookline
• Refining financial model for the Hubway system in Brookline and assist in grant reporting and other fiscal responsibilities
• Attend Hubway regional meetings when appropriate
• Other responsibilities as assigned.
The ideal candidate will have strong technical skills and be able to read plans and interpret basic local, state and federal regulations; should be good with the public and able to clearly articulate complex concepts in accessible terms; and will have strong report writing skills. Applicants should have a bachelor’s degree in urban planning or a related field, with some Master’s level course work completed. Compensation depends on qualifications.
To apply, please send a cover letter and resume to:
Jeff Levine, AICP
Director Department of Planning & Community Development
Town of Brookline
333 Washington Street, Third Floor
Brookline, MA 02445
The Town of Brookline is an equal opportunity employer.
Department of Planning and Community Development
Town Hall, 3rdFloor
333 Washington Street
Brookline, MA 02445-6899
(617) 730-2130 Fax (617) 730-2442
jlevine@brooklinema.gov
Jeffrey R . L evine, AI CP Director"


Um, isn't Alta supposed to offer those services in house to the cities & towns hired by it?
 
^ This actually sounds like a great idea because a 2-year old could come up with better plans for Hubway rollout and promotion than the management by the cities and Alta could. A young college grad with big ideas and a true desire to get this thing going, should be a very positive thing.
 
Lurker said:
Um, isn't Alta supposed to offer those services in house to the cities & towns hired by it?
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I know of an RFP from 2009 that addresses every point there....but with much more than 4 stations of course.



But anyway, quite impressed with bike access in Philly. They just need bike share now, it would work quite well indeed. I didnt realize central philly was so flat and well connected.
 
Hubway really needs to expand the station in Post Office Square. By 8 am it is totally full of bikes, and by 5:30 pm it's totally empty. The Hubway truck has been showing up daily around 5:30 to add a few more bikes, but the morning is still a big problem. I'm guessing they don't have any extra equipment to be able to extend the station, but hopefully they will do so when they expand the program further into Boston.
 
jass said:
But anyway, quite impressed with bike access in Philly. They just need bike share now, it would work quite well indeed. I didnt realize central philly was so flat and well connected.
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William Penn really knew what he was doing when he designed that city. It's still one of the most thoughtfully laid out and situated downtowns anywhere in North America.
 
Hubway replied with the most bullshit response you could ever IMAGINE.

Tim posted to Hubway
March 31 at 11:27am

Why are you still advertising the system to have 61 stations, when 61 stations were never even installed last year, let alone this year too?
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Hubway
4 hours ago
Seems odd, huh? As we prepare to add 22 in Cambridge and a pretty good number in BOTH Somerville and Brookline, not to mention expanding more here in Boston to make riding downtown even more easy, we know that numbers are important but always changing. We'll keep you posted along the way. Thanks for the post.
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That some amateur PR person thought that was a adequate and defensible statement to put in writing says a lot. When some shyster class action lawyer sues Hubway/Alta for falsely representing their system, statements like that will bury them.

With Nicole Freedman leaving I am concerned that Alta will somehow weasel their way into managing all of Boston's bike planning. With the 'talent' on their payroll, and record of getting things (not) done, such a transition would be disastrous.
 
datadyne007 said:
Hubway
4 hours ago
Seems odd, huh? As we prepare to add 22 in Cambridge and a pretty good number in BOTH Somerville and Brookline, not to mention expanding more here in Boston to make riding downtown even more easy, we know that numbers are important but always changing. We'll keep you posted along the way. Thanks for the post.
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Cool, so they are going to significantly exceed 61?
 
Lurker said:
That some amateur PR person thought that was a adequate and defensible statement to put in writing says a lot. When some shyster class action lawyer sues Hubway/Alta for falsely representing their system, statements like that will bury them.

With Nicole Freedman leaving I am concerned that Alta will somehow weasel their way into managing all of Boston's bike planning. With the 'talent' on their payroll, and record of getting things (not) done, such a transition would be disastrous.
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Wait, shes leaving? Wouldnt this thread have been an appropriate place for someone to post that news?

:/


Oh and BTW, in DC;

CaBi reported 103,230 trips in February. That's up 6% since January and 114% since February 2011.
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Thats almost as many trips as Hubway did the entire first season it was on the ground.

Of course, no one bikes in February.



Also, the hubway facebook page is interesting.

Its not exactly bursting with confidence. They give the impression they have no clue what theyre doing.


Hi. What happened to the station at Park St. and Buswell? Is that going up this year?


Hubway That one may be moving. Stay tuned for updates. Thanks for the post Brian.
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May be moving? Shouldnt details like that be hammered out before people put money down...?


Hi. When are you guys planning on putting stations in Cambridge and Somerville?


Hubway Looks like its going to be sometime this summer. Can't be sure on dates or locations just yet.
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Can't be sure on dates or locations? They've had three years and they still don't know?

When are the bikes coming back to Dudley? cc Tito Jackson

Hubway They are at some point. Because of the construction, we had to change locations. The mission now is to find the location in the area that makes the most sense AND where permits will be readily available. Thanks for the post Mary.
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At some point? Seriously? The mission now....what did these people do all freaking winter and last fall?



What's up w/Milk St. station? There's few enough stations downtown as it is. PO Sq. is frequently either full or empty and it's a looooong way to the next closest. Milk St. was a nice back-up last year.

Hubway ‎Rawson Hubbell, the City decided that station wasn't being used enough (all numbers) and will no longer be there. We will expand more stations into Boston this summer so something may end up in that area. For now, Rowes Warf, PO Sq., Summer/Arch, Union st, Aquarium... Those will be your go to when in that area. Thanks for the post.
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Do they not understand the number 1 most important factor is station location? Thats what makes or breaks the system.

You cant remove stations whenever you feel like it and not give info on future stations.

The whole point of an annual membership is an understanding that all year youll be able to use the system. And if your station goes away, the system becomes useless to you.


Who wants to put down the money for an annual membership if theres no confidence in the system?
 
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Does anybody have more information about Nicole Freedman? I googled, but found no announcements or reports of her leaving other than the Lurker's post.
 
Bike lanes coming to Pleasant St in Malden under current rehab plans.
 
commuter guy said:
Link re: Freedman resigning

http://articles.boston.com/2012-04-04/metro/31282385_1_bike-lanes-bicycling-advocates-bike-czar
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I wonder who theyll get to replace her. She was far, far from perfect but still pushed through some big projects like comm ave and mass ave which faced pushback.

DC saw almost two years of stalled bike progress when they had a change of "czar". Same thing over here in Fresno. Since the bike guy left in 2010....nothing.

If they dont fill the position, or fill it with someone who sucks, Boston will be sad for a couple of years.
 
http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news...le_hubway_bi.html?p1=Well_Local_YourTownlinks


svillehubwaystations.jpg

Red dots represent possible Hubway bicycle rental stations, set to land in Somerville by about July.

By Matt Byrne, Town Correspondent
City officials released a first-look map of possible locations for eight Hubway bicycle rental stations in Somerville.

The stations, sprinkled throughout the city's myriad squares, are expected to open by about July.

Before the end of the summer, Hubway locations are expected to sprout in Brookline and Cambridge, expanding the network's reach beyond Boston city limits.Hubway launched last summer in Boston with 61 stations and 610 bicycles. Hubway riders logged more than 140,000 rides before the season closed on Nov. 30, according to the City of Boston. The system attracted more than 3,700 members in 2011 and almost 30,000 casual users.

Hubway offers three membership options for riders: an annual membership for $85; a casual, three-day membership for $12; or a casual 24-hour membership for $5. Rides less than 30 minutes are free with any membership. Longer rides cost from $1.50 for just under an hour to $75 for rides lasting between seven and 24 hours. Registered annual members receive a 25 percent discount.

Never mind that we still don't have 61 stations in Boston and in fact have fewer stations than last year.
 
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