Hubway/Blue Bike Expansion with Locations in Charlestown

A series of blues signs along fences and sidewalks throughout the Town – in numerous different languages – have popped up this week as the City continues to consider new locations for the former HubWay, now Blue Bike, expansion.

In Charlestown, the City has identified 11 potential locations throughout Charlestown, and will eventually locate five to seven new docking hubs for bike rentals. Blue Bike works through renting a bike that is locked to a station, with stations located on the sidewalk or curb. Customers can use a credit card at the station to rent the bike for a period of time, and the bike has to be returned to a docking station at the same location or another location.

Already, there are several docking stations in Charlestown, such as in the Navy Yard, in Thompson Square and by Eden Street Park. This year was the first year that the Boston Transportation Department (BTD) did not remove the bike dock stations for winter – leaving them out on the streets for use year-round. The plan is to continue to leave them out year-round, even after the expansion.

The expansion is a city-wide effort and will locate more than 100 new locations citywide. The rollout of locations follows several public meetings across the city, including one in Charlestown last fall.

This spring, proposed locations were identified, and signage was recently put up to alert people that the location was being considered. The decision on locations rests heavily on input from the general public, which can be given online at the City’s website under the ‘BikeShare Expansion’ heading.

Final decisions will be made this summer and new docking stations will be installed at that time. The expansion will come at no cost to the City and will be paid for through advertising revenues on the docking stations and on the bikes.

“After collecting the final comments on our proposed maps, we will move ahead with locating and permitting the final locations,” read the website. “We’ll post the final plans online. Stations will be placed in waves and turned on as soon as they’re installed. Get ready for a great summer of biking in Boston.”

The 11 proposed locations are as follows:

  • Sullivan Square T Stop
  • Schrafft’s Center
    •Main St. at Baldwin St.
    •Medford St. at Mead St.
    •Medford St. at Charlestown BCYF
    •Main St. at Thompson Sq.
    •Main St. at Devens St.
    •Charlestown Navy Yard
    •Flagship Wharf
    •8th St. at 1st Ave.
    •Common St. at Park St.

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