Biking in Boston

The 3 Hubway stations in the Back Bay that have been closed since the marathon are back up!

Washington Square Hubway is up!

By my count, they are now at 105 station, not counting the Andrew Square and BMC stations that have not been put back for the year yet.

As an aside, without even expanding geographically, Hubway could add infill stations downtown and really start raising their station count.

I can think of a couple locations, downtown alone, that could really use more coverage. An example:

-Nashua Street Park area. There are off-road bike paths (Nashua Street Park) and major employers (Spaulding, Suffolk County). Nearest station(s) are at North Station, which doesn't keep up with demand, and is far enough away that it would serve a distinct purpose.

Filling in these kinds of areas could get Hubway a couple dozen more stations in Boston alone, without even expanding their footprint.
 
aaaaaa said:
Washington Sq station is being installed, and per Hubway's twitter, the Boylston stations are scheduled for this week as well. They also said that the Porter Sq station is delayed due to the ongoing construction.

For the Hubway members out there, why have you chosen to use Hubway versus investing in your own bike? I can think of several reasons, but I'm curious to know what all of your reasons are. Thanks.
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I let mine expire because it is no longer convenient and until now (just finished my last final exam of all eternity yesterday) I haven't any time for recreational use.

But... you can't bring your own bike on the Green Line, nor on any trains during peak hours. Also, no need to bring a lock, nor worry about leaving it unattended even if it is locked up.
 
I thought Hubway was going into JP this year... any word on whether that's still happening?
 
Looks like they painted sharrows on Brighton Avenue instead of the promised "bike priority shared lane" markings.
 
Fair enough. Did not see this before, it was not mentioned in any of the outreach. Interested to see the results, and if the phases don't slip. After all this was supposed to all take place a year ago...
 
Anyone know if this same wage structure applies to Boston? I know about 1.5m in fed funds were used to start up Hubway
Former employee Samuel Swen*son has told the U.S. Labor Department that he was paid $13 hourly for work that should have been subject to the federal “bicycle repairer” rate of $14.43 hourly or “truck driver, light” at $15.66 hourly. Before he left Capital Bikeshare, Swenson said, he received a raise to $15 hourly but was not paid fringe benefits required under federal law.

Capital Bikeshare, a subsidiary of Alta Bicycle Share of Portland, Ore., operates the system under a 2010 contract with the District’s Transportation Department worth up to $16.4 million over five years. The contract specifies that Capital Bikeshare must follow federal “prevailing wage” determinations, which are published regularly by the Labor Department.
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http://www.washingtonpost.com/local...38871c-b683-11e2-92f3-f291801936b8_story.html
 
A handful of bike path extensions now underway north of the Charles.

0.25 mile extension of the community path (Ceder St to Lowell St) breaks ground today in Somerville http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/somerville/2013/05/somerville_community_path_exte.html

Also, on a run on Friday I saw trucks unloading more construction materials for the underpass connecting Ten Hills bike paths to the renovated park at Assembly Sq., also in Somerville.

Fitchburg Cutoff to Belmont has more construction which I had not seen since I last went on it in the fall (don't know if anyone has posted on that here recently). Path is blocked near the Pfizer building to the south, with new wooden bridges and observation piers being built around Alewife Reservation.

There is some construction at a vacant lot where the path dead-ends. http://goo.gl/maps/bNVwL
This used to be a way to continue on to Belmont Ctr via Channing Rd but the unofficial link is now fenced off with construction vehicles moving dirt around. Don't know if this is a new building development or the start of more path.

Northern Strand Community Path in Everett has work being done. Hard to say how much but it looks to me like this portion (http://goo.gl/maps/PhWTK) is currently under construction/improvement.

Finally, Watertown bike path is showing no immediate sign of progress http://www.wickedlocal.com/watertow...paths-progressing-slowly?zc_p=0#axzz2TCDGPUKL
 
0.25 mile extension of the community path (Ceder St to Lowell St) breaks ground today in Somerville http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/...path_exte.html
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Official groundbreaking ceremony is 6pm tonight at the current end of the path at Cedar Street. I'll be there. Maybe I'll see you?

Extension beyond Lowell Street requires coordination with Green Line construction. There's a very short stretch of path in Somerville Junction Park, built within the last 2 or 3 years, that will become part of a future Community Path extension. That section currently empties out into a parking lot on Central Street.

Also, on a run on Friday I saw trucks unloading more construction materials for the underpass connecting Ten Hills bike paths to the renovated park at Assembly Sq., also in Somerville.
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Both of these projects are supposed to be finished this year. I'm hoping to lead the Somerville Bicycle Committee's October 19 Tour de Somerville ride through both of them.
 
Ron, I will sadly miss the groundbreaking due to a meeting in Concord (ironically at the opposite terminus of this bike path --if you count the Bedford-Concord section).

I'm curious how they plan to handle flooding in this section, which is basically a narrow canal where ponding occurs regularly.

Also a good opportunity to press the city on what GLX mitigation projects they are recommending when the 2014 deadline is missed. More funding for community path extensions?
 
kjdonovan said:
There is some construction at a vacant lot where the path dead-ends. http://goo.gl/maps/bNVwL
This used to be a way to continue on to Belmont Ctr via Channing Rd but the unofficial link is now fenced off with construction vehicles moving dirt around. Don't know if this is a new building development or the start of more path.
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Development. I'm afraid the space for a continued path may be constrained by a driveway easement to the development, but it is too early to tell. I certainly hope not. It would be such an easy extension to Belmont Center.
 
Just got this e-mail, assuming it's related?
To the Members of the MIT community:

I write to share the painful news that Dr. Kanako Miura, a visiting scientist in the CSAIL lab of Professor Russ Tedrake, lost her life today in the Back Bay in a bicycle accident. A native of Japan, she had been part of our community since her arrival last fall.

Our hearts go out to her friends and colleagues at MIT, and especially to the Miura family, who must absorb this terrible news from so far away. The MIT News site will carry any information about plans that may emerge to honor her memory.

MIT Medical is available to help us with this tragic loss.

For now, let us all -- drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians alike -- try that much harder to keep each other safe.

Sincerely,

L. Rafael Reif
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NYC launched bike share today with 330 stations.

Maybe now the company can ship the 20 promised expansion stations to Boston? DC is still 40 behind from what they were promised last fall too.
 
yanofsky_every-bike-dock_002.png


http://www.theatlanticcities.com/co...ints-worlds-biggest-bike-share-networks/5745/
 
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