Mayor Martin J. Walsh today announced last week that an additional 50 stations and 540 bikes will be added this year to Bluebikes! Boston’s Bluebikes expansion will take the total of bikes in the city to 2,400 and stations to 230 by the end of 2019, marking the highest number of publicly available bikes and stations in Boston’s history. An additional $1 million of capital funding from the Mayor’s proposed FY20 budget will bring bike share to parts of Boston for the first time with stations being added in Dorchester, Roslindale and West Roxbury.
“I am excited to be expanding our Bluebikes program to allow for even more of our residents and visitors to take advantage of our bike infrastructure, which we’re continuing to prioritize by building new protected bike lanes throughout Downtown and our neighborhoods,” said Mayor Walsh. “With our continued investments and the support of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, we will be able to continue to build out our Bluebikes network and provide more people with convenient access to bikes.”
Feedback from residents and community organizations has informed the locations of the stations. New stations this year will be installed near community health centers, with financial support from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts. City investments have brought bike share to new neighborhoods as well as added necessary capacity in job centers, commercial corridors, and high-density residential neighborhoods. For the newly-announced expansion areas in southern Dorchester, east Roslindale, and West Roxbury, the Boston Transportation Department will be hosting the following public meetings:
Roslindale: June 6, 6:30 p.m., BYCF Menino, 125 Brookway Rd
Dorchester: June 12, 6:30 p.m., All Saints Church, 209 Ashmont St
West Roxbury: June 13, 6:30 p.m., BCYF Roche, 1716 Centre St
BTD is also meeting with neighborhood associations in the expansion areas of Dorchester and Roslindale. Information about the full planning process and proposed stations can be found at boston.gov/bike-share-expansion.
Maureen Dahill is the editor of Caught in Southie and a lifelong resident of South Boston sometimes mistaken for a yuppie. Co-host of Caught Up, storyteller, lover of red wine and binge watching TV series. Mrs. Peter G. Follow her @MaureenCaught.
