Allston community planning workshop to discuss Hubway expansion

The Boston Transportation Department is hosting a Community Planning Workshop in Allston on Saturday, October 14, at 10 a.m., at the BPL Honan-Allston Branch Library, to discuss the upcoming expansion of Boston’s public bike share system.  Residents are encouraged to attend and help BTD to determine potential locations for new bike share stations in their neighborhood.

Over the next two years, more than seventy new bike share stations will be added in neighborhoods throughout Boston.  New stations will be installed beginning in the summer of 2018.  “Bikeshare Network Expansion” is identified as a key project in the Go Boston 2030 Action Plan released earlier this year.  Go Boston 2030 is the City of Boston’s comprehensive, long term transportation plan to provide safe and efficient access on Boston’s streets for all users, whether people choose to walk, ride bikes, drive motor vehicles or use public transportation.  Go Boston 2030 complements Imagine Boston 2030, Boston’s citywide plan to guide long-term growth.

“The Hubway bike share system is a healthy, affordable and environmentally friendly mode of transportation,” said BTD Commissioner Gina N. Fiandaca.  “We are delighted to have this opportunity to expand the existing service and provide more people with the chance to take advantage of public bike share in Boston’s neighborhoods.  We look forward to hearing residents’ suggestions for the best potential locations for bike share stations in the City.”

A total of 28 workshops are taking place this fall.  The full meeting schedule can be found at boston.gov/bike-share-expansion in the 2017 Expansion Planning Workshop Schedule section.  Although each workshop will focus on the neighborhood where the meeting is held, materials will be available to discuss all neighborhoods that are under consideration for expansion.  Residents who are unavailable to attend a scheduled workshop in their own neighborhood are urged to join any of the others that are convenient for them.

Go Boston 2030 is the City of Boston’s long term mobility plan.  Go Boston 2030 envisions a city in a region where all residents have better and more equitable travel choices, where efficient transportation networks foster economic opportunity, and where steps have been taken to prepare for climate change.  Whether traveling by transit, on foot, on a bike, or by car, people will be able to access all parts of Boston safely and reliably.  A list of projects and policies have been developed that are being implemented as early action projects in the near term, and a set of long-term projects and policies are intended to be implemented over the next 15 years.

The Hubway system is regional public transportation by bike, owned by the municipalities of Boston, Brookline, Cambridge and Somerville.  System wide, there are more than 180 stations offering 1,600 bikes to more than 15,000 members.  Since launching in July 2011, users have taken 5.3 million trips.