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Bluebikes

Bluebikes, originally Hubway, is a bicycle sharing system in the Boston metropolitan area. As of July 2021, the system had deployed 393 stations with a fleet of over 3,800 bikes in the 10 municipalities it served.[1] Bluebikes is operated by Motivate and uses technology provided by 8D Technologies and PBSC Urban Solutions for equipment. The bike share program officially launched in Boston as Hubway. From 2012 to 2021, neighboring municipalities of Brookline, Cambridge, Somerville, Everett, Newton, Arlington, Chelsea, Watertown, and Salem joined the system. By 2020, total annual members neared 23,000, and as of 2021, 14 million total rides have been taken.[3]

Bluebikes
Overview
OwnerThe municipalities of Boston, Brookline, Cambridge, Everett, and Somerville, Newton, Arlington, Chelsea, Watertown, and Salem in Massachusetts
LocaleGreater Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Transit typeBicycle sharing system
Number of stations393 (July 2021)[1]
Annual ridership2,065,292 (2020)[2]
Websitewww.bluebikes.com
Operation
Began operationJuly 28, 2011
Operator(s)Motivate
Number of vehicles3,800+ (July 2021)[1]

In March 2018, the municipal owners announced a six-year marketing deal with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts and relaunched under the name of Bluebikes.[4] The name change took effect on May 9, 2018, with the release of the newly re-branded blue bicycles.[5]

Users can rent out a Bluebike with the Bluebikes app or directly at the station's kiosk. Passes for purchase vary on length and cost, but income and non-income based subsidies are available.

History Edit

Initial launch Edit

On Earth Day, April 21, 2011, Boston Mayor Thomas Menino signed an operating contract with Alta Bicycle Share, officially announcing the launch of a bike share system in Boston. Planned as a regional system, Hubway was initiated under Mayor Menino's Boston Bikes Program, which aimed to build Boston into one of the world's premier cycling cities. The program was fully funded by $4.5 million in grants from the Federal Transit Administration and local organizations.[6] Within the City of Boston, the system was sponsored by Boston-based New Balance.

 
Logo of Hubway

Hubway became operational on July 28, 2011, with an event in which members could ride bicycles from City Hall Plaza to a designated bicycle station. The event featured Mayor Menino, representatives from various sponsors, and related agencies.[7] In November 2011, Hubway was shut down and disassembled for the winter as a preventive measure to counter New England winter weather.

On March 15, 2012, Hubway was relaunched for the season with the abutting communities of Brookline, Cambridge, and Somerville also joining. By the end of the 2012 season on November 28, the system had 105 stations and 1,050 bikes. While a majority of the stations continued to be shut down for the winter season over the first years of the program, 25 stations in Cambridge remained open during a successful winter pilot program which became permanent. After the full system relaunched on April 2, 2014, it grew to 140 stations and over 1,300 bikes.[8]

On December 4, 2014, Hubway's non-management employees voted 23–8, 74%, in favor of joining Transport Workers Union of America (TWU) Local 100.[9] The unionization effort came after employees of CitiBike in NYC, owned by the same parent company Motivate (formerly named Alta Bicycle Share), joined TWU Local 100 in September 2014 [10] and was closely followed by similar efforts by employees of Alta Bicycle Share in Washington, D.C.,[11] and Chicago.[12]

 
PBSC Hubway bicycle, 2012.

Full system operations for 2014 concluded on November 26, though the system expanded its winter operations. For the second year, almost all Cambridge-based stations remained open year-round, and those stations were joined by 62 Boston-based stations that remained open through December 31, 2014. Inclement weather pushed back the full system reopening until April 17, 2015, and during the 2015 season the system grew to 155 stations and over 1,500 bicycles. In 2015, regular season operations concluded on November 25, though again Hubway expanded its winter operations further,[13] with 110 stations remaining open through December 7, 2015; of those, 107 stayed open through December 31; and of those, the 37 Cambridge-based stations once again remain open year-round.[8] In May 2017, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh announced a planned two-year expansion, adding 70 new stations and offering year-round service.[14]

As of 2017, Boston was ranked as the city with the fifth largest bike sharing system in the United States, after New York City, Chicago, Washington D.C., and Minneapolis. [15] The rankings are determined by the number of hubs or stations. At that time, Boston had 184 stations.

Re-branding to Bluebikes Edit

 
Map

On March 7, 2018, Hubway announced a six-year partnership with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, which included a system-wide rebranding as Bluebikes, an expansion of 3,000 total bikes, and an addition of over 100 new stations by the end of 2019. Prior to this partnership, the Boston portion of the system had been sponsored by Boston-based athletic company New Balance. The new sponsorship with Blue Cross covers all four municipalities. The name change took effect on May 9, 2018, with the release of new and re-branded bicycles.

On June 4, 2019, Bluebikes set a single-day ridership record with users taking 10,035 trips, the first time the ride-share has ever exceeded the 10,000-rider mark for a single day. On September 19, 2019 Bluebikes passed 10 million total rides. Two years later on September 11th, 2021, Bluebikes hit its highest single day record with over 18,000 rides.[16]

In 2020, Bluebikes expanded to Newton, Revere, Chelsea, Arlington, and Watertown adding over 30 new stations to the system. The following year in June, Bluebikes was launched in Salem with seven stations, bringing the system's span to 10 municipalities. Bluebikes continued to expand in 2021, with projects pursued in Dorchester, Mattapan, and Hyde Park.[17] In 2022, the system expanded to three stations in Medford[18] and three in Malden.[19] By 2023, there were over 4,000 bicycles in the system at over 400 stations, with Salem up to 18 stations.[20]

Equipment Edit

 
Bluebikes at Ruggles station, 2019

The system uses bicycles designed and manufactured by Montreal-based PBSC. The majority of docking stations are also supplied by PBSC while the newest docking stations are designed and manufactured by 8D Technologies. The platform behind the bike share system is created by 8D Technologies, who also supply the server technology for BIXI Montréal, Citi Bike in New York City, Santander Cycles in London, Capital Bikeshare in Washington DC, and others.

Each Bluebike comes with a basket, adjustable seat, and kickstand. For safety during night-time riding, they have self-powered lights at the front and back of the bike. On the left handlebar, Bluebikes are equipped with a bell, and the right handlebar has a continuous gear shifter.

Bluebikes renters may download the app on their Android or iOS device.[21] The app was developed in 2017 and is free to download.[22] The app provides information on the status (e.g., current trip length) of the rental, but it is not required in order to rent a Bluebike. The app allows up to four bikes to be rented out simultaneously on one account. On the app's map, docks appear as green when there are a sufficient number of bikes at the station. Conversely, they appear as red when there are little to none available.

Rental service Edit

 
Kiosk at Buswell Street Station, 2021

To unlock the bike(s), a person must first purchase a pass using a credit or debit card at the solar-powered[22] station kiosk or on the Bluebikes app. A five digit numeric code will be given. For users with monthly or yearly plans, a physical bike key can be requested. When a Bluebikes user inserts their key or enters the code into a keypad next to the bike, the bike detaches itself from the dock. As a renter finishes their trip, they push the bike into the dock and hold it until the light next to the dock turns green to confirm a successful lock. In the case that a Bluebike is not returned to a dock within 24 hours, the renter may be charged a lost bike fee of $1,200.[23]

Types of passes Edit

A trip begins when a renter removes a bike from a dock, and it ends when the renter returns the bike to the dock. With Monthly and Annual Memberships, bikers are allowed to take an unlimited number of trips per day, with each one lasting less than 45 minutes.

Bluebikes Passes
Type Pass duration Trip duration Cost per bike
Single trip 30 minutes 30 minutes $2.95
Adventure pass 24 hours 2 hours $10
Monthly membership 1 month 45 minutes $25
Annual membership 1 year 45 minutes $109

*The Bluebikes app tracks the time and length of each trip taken. If a renter exceeds the time limit of their pass, Bluebikes bills the renter $2.50 for each additional 30 minutes.

Incentive to ride Edit

Income-Eligible Program Edit

 
Rental kiosk

In the spring of 2018, as Motivate worked towards expanding the bike share program, attention was also focused on increasing membership opportunities for folks who may not have been able to pay the full price. Bluebikes offered an expanded Income-Eligible Program that offers membership rates of $5 per month or $50 per year, which are discounted from the standard prices of $25 per month or $109 per year (as of 2021).[24][25] Residents can qualify for these discounted rates via their participation in any one of eleven different assistance programs, including EBT cards, Pell Grants, MassHealth, and Public housing initiatives.[26] Additionally, the Bluebikes program offers a subsidized yearly membership fee of $5 for guests or clients of transitional housing options and homeless shelters located within the city of Boston.[24] Those who qualify for these discounted rates have access to unlimited 60 minute trips — an increase from the standard 45 minute rides — providing additional incentives in order to increase membership among a subset of the population that previously could not access their services.[26]

Mayor Marty Walsh has said that these changes to the Bluebikes initiative are in line with the goals of Boston’s Go Boston 2030 transportation plan, which focuses on promoting transportation equity.[26][27] Jay Walder, who was the CEO and President of Motivate in the spring of 2018, stated that the Income-Eligible Program would make Bluebikes accessible for Bostonians regardless of income, and that these efforts to provide access should serve as a model for sustainable transport initiatives across the country.[26]

Starting on October 5th, 2019, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts began to sponsor $1 single rides on weekends until the end of 2019 to help combat transportation challenges arising from MBTA shutdowns. Blue Cross has also donated $10,000 to the Bluebikes Income-Eligibility Program to increase affordability.

Other discounts Edit

Bluebikes provided free trips with one-time use codes to travel to polling places[28] in 2020 and COVID-19 vaccination[29] sites in 2021. On each Monday of August 2021, Bluebikes offered complimentary Adventure Passes as a part of their celebration for National Wellness Month. The campaign, titled "Mindful Mondays", was sponsored by Blue Cross Blue Shield.[30]

Various companies and colleges, including Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston University, Emerson College, Harvard University, and Tufts University, have enrolled in the Bluebikes Corporate Partner Program. This allows individuals of those organizations to enroll in a Bluebikes membership at a discounted rate, subsidized by their respective company.[31]

Bike Angels rewards program Edit

Similar to the bike sharing systems of New York City and Washington, D.C., Bluebikes also offers a rewards system to incentivize renters to move bikes to certain docks. This is set up to alleviate the company's amount of transportation work. A renter receives points when they bring a bike to a sparsely populated dock or take a bike out of a full dock. The points are updated every fifteen minutes and vary depending on the severity of excess supply or demand. Rewards include free adventure passes for friends, membership extensions, and gift cards.[32]

Criticism Edit

Bluebikes renters have complained on Tripadvisor,[33] Reddit,[34] Yelp,[35] and various other sites that they have found the service to be unsatisfactory. Customers have criticized Bluebikes for equipment shortcomings - unsuccessful bike docks, old stations and heavy bikes, and adjustable seats falling mid-ride.[35] The technology is reported to occasionally fail, with invalid codes and incorrect charges made to bank accounts.[34] Regarding the physical accessibility, some users are unhappy with their experience of bikes being unavailable at certain stations, and conversely, being unable to find an available dock in order to return the bike.[33]

See also Edit

References Edit

  1. ^ a b c MilNeil, Christian (July 26, 2021). "Bluebikes System Celebrates 10th Anniversary By Smashing A Ridership Record". StreetsBlogMass. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  2. ^ "System Data". Blue Bikes. Retrieved October 3, 2021.
  3. ^ Getting Around Cambridge, City of Cambridge, 2019
  4. ^ Enwemeka, Zeninjor. "Hubway Will Become Blue Bikes, And The Fleet Will Grow". WBUR-FM. Retrieved March 7, 2018.
  5. ^ Fisher, Jenna (May 18, 2018). "Hubway Trades Green For Blue Bikes Starting Today". Retrieved May 9, 2018.
  6. ^ "Mayor Menino Signs First-Ever Bike Share Contract Launching Hubway in Boston". City of Boston. Retrieved December 31, 2011.
  7. ^ "Hubway Bike-Sharing Program Gets Rolling". WBUR-FM. July 29, 2011. Retrieved December 31, 2011.
  8. ^ a b "Hubway Media Kit". Hubway. Retrieved September 12, 2014.
  9. ^ Vaccaro, Adam (December 5, 2014). "Hubway Workers Elect to Join Transit Union". The Boston Globe. Retrieved October 4, 2021.
  10. ^ Jackson, Derrick Z. (October 14, 2014). "Hubway should extend do-good efforts to its own employees". The Boston Globe. Retrieved October 4, 2021.
  11. ^ Lydia DePillis (October 24, 2014). "D.C. Bikeshare workers look to unionize — and build a nationwide Bikeshare powerhouse". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 4, 2021.
  12. ^ Cancino, Alejandra (November 3, 2014). "Union seeks to represent Divvy workers". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved October 4, 2021.
  13. ^ Enwemeka, Zeninjor (December 3, 2015). "Ready To Ride: Hubway Expands Winter Operations". WBUR-FM. Retrieved December 3, 2015.
  14. ^ Vaccaro, Adam (May 25, 2017). "Hubway set for big expansion and year-round service". The Boston Globe. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
  15. ^ Malouff, Dan (September 26, 2017). "All 119 US bikeshare systems, ranked by size". ggwash.org. Greater Greater Washington. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  16. ^ @ridebluebikes (September 13, 2021). "That's right, it's another 🎉DOUBLE RECORD WEEKEND🎉" (Tweet). Retrieved September 27, 2021 – via Twitter.
  17. ^ "Bike Share Expansion 2020-2021". Boston.gov. July 15, 2020. Retrieved September 27, 2021.
  18. ^ "Medford To Add Three New Bluebike Stations". medfordma.org. August 31, 2022.
  19. ^ "Malden To Add Bluebike Stations". patch.com. August 18, 2022.
  20. ^ Bluebikes pedals on, expands with new stations
  21. ^ "Get the App". Blue Bikes Boston. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
  22. ^ a b "Bluebikes MediaKit, Logos, Photos & Stats". Blue Bikes Boston. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
  23. ^ "Annual Membership". Blue Bikes Boston. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  24. ^ a b "Income-Eligible Program". Bluebikes. Retrieved November 3, 2019.
  25. ^ Mitchell, Jack (May 30, 2019). "Biking in Boston: What To Know Before You Get Rolling". WBUR-FM. Retrieved November 3, 2019.
  26. ^ a b c d Fisher, Jenna (March 23, 2018). "Boston Metro Hubway Expands Income-Eligibility For Bike Share". Patch Media. Retrieved November 3, 2019.
  27. ^ "Go Boston 2030". Boston.gov. City of Boston. February 24, 2017. Retrieved November 3, 2019.
  28. ^ "Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Offers Free Bluebikes Rides to the Polls on Election Day". Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts. October 21, 2020. Retrieved September 27, 2021.
  29. ^ "Residents eligible for free Bluebikes rides to get vaccine". WCVB. April 19, 2021. Retrieved September 27, 2021.
  30. ^ "Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Sponsors Free Bluebikes Rides on "Mindful Mondays" in August". Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts. August 5, 2021. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  31. ^ "Bluebikes Corporate Program". Blue Bikes Boston. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  32. ^ "Bike Angels". Blue Bikes Boston. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  33. ^ a b Joy733 (June 20, 2021). "Bluebikes-Sturdy bike but many system errors - Review of Hubway Bike Rental, Boston, MA". Tripadvisor. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
  34. ^ a b KingKombo (August 26, 2019). "Bluebike taking me a on a ride for 1200$". Reddit. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
  35. ^ a b "BlueBikes - Reviews". Yelp. Retrieved October 1, 2021.

External links Edit

  Media related to Bluebikes at Wikimedia Commons

  • Official website

bluebikes, originally, hubway, bicycle, sharing, system, boston, metropolitan, area, july, 2021, system, deployed, stations, with, fleet, over, bikes, municipalities, served, operated, motivate, uses, technology, provided, technologies, pbsc, urban, solutions,. Bluebikes originally Hubway is a bicycle sharing system in the Boston metropolitan area As of July 2021 the system had deployed 393 stations with a fleet of over 3 800 bikes in the 10 municipalities it served 1 Bluebikes is operated by Motivate and uses technology provided by 8D Technologies and PBSC Urban Solutions for equipment The bike share program officially launched in Boston as Hubway From 2012 to 2021 neighboring municipalities of Brookline Cambridge Somerville Everett Newton Arlington Chelsea Watertown and Salem joined the system By 2020 total annual members neared 23 000 and as of 2021 14 million total rides have been taken 3 BluebikesOverviewOwnerThe municipalities of Boston Brookline Cambridge Everett and Somerville Newton Arlington Chelsea Watertown and Salem in MassachusettsLocaleGreater Boston Massachusetts U S Transit typeBicycle sharing systemNumber of stations393 July 2021 1 Annual ridership2 065 292 2020 2 Websitewww wbr bluebikes wbr comOperationBegan operationJuly 28 2011Operator s MotivateNumber of vehicles3 800 July 2021 1 In March 2018 the municipal owners announced a six year marketing deal with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts and relaunched under the name of Bluebikes 4 The name change took effect on May 9 2018 with the release of the newly re branded blue bicycles 5 Users can rent out a Bluebike with the Bluebikes app or directly at the station s kiosk Passes for purchase vary on length and cost but income and non income based subsidies are available Contents 1 History 1 1 Initial launch 1 2 Re branding to Bluebikes 2 Equipment 3 Rental service 3 1 Types of passes 4 Incentive to ride 4 1 Income Eligible Program 4 2 Other discounts 4 3 Bike Angels rewards program 5 Criticism 6 See also 7 References 8 External linksHistory EditInitial launch EditOn Earth Day April 21 2011 Boston Mayor Thomas Menino signed an operating contract with Alta Bicycle Share officially announcing the launch of a bike share system in Boston Planned as a regional system Hubway was initiated under Mayor Menino s Boston Bikes Program which aimed to build Boston into one of the world s premier cycling cities The program was fully funded by 4 5 million in grants from the Federal Transit Administration and local organizations 6 Within the City of Boston the system was sponsored by Boston based New Balance Logo of HubwayHubway became operational on July 28 2011 with an event in which members could ride bicycles from City Hall Plaza to a designated bicycle station The event featured Mayor Menino representatives from various sponsors and related agencies 7 In November 2011 Hubway was shut down and disassembled for the winter as a preventive measure to counter New England winter weather On March 15 2012 Hubway was relaunched for the season with the abutting communities of Brookline Cambridge and Somerville also joining By the end of the 2012 season on November 28 the system had 105 stations and 1 050 bikes While a majority of the stations continued to be shut down for the winter season over the first years of the program 25 stations in Cambridge remained open during a successful winter pilot program which became permanent After the full system relaunched on April 2 2014 it grew to 140 stations and over 1 300 bikes 8 On December 4 2014 Hubway s non management employees voted 23 8 74 in favor of joining Transport Workers Union of America TWU Local 100 9 The unionization effort came after employees of CitiBike in NYC owned by the same parent company Motivate formerly named Alta Bicycle Share joined TWU Local 100 in September 2014 10 and was closely followed by similar efforts by employees of Alta Bicycle Share in Washington D C 11 and Chicago 12 PBSC Hubway bicycle 2012 Full system operations for 2014 concluded on November 26 though the system expanded its winter operations For the second year almost all Cambridge based stations remained open year round and those stations were joined by 62 Boston based stations that remained open through December 31 2014 Inclement weather pushed back the full system reopening until April 17 2015 and during the 2015 season the system grew to 155 stations and over 1 500 bicycles In 2015 regular season operations concluded on November 25 though again Hubway expanded its winter operations further 13 with 110 stations remaining open through December 7 2015 of those 107 stayed open through December 31 and of those the 37 Cambridge based stations once again remain open year round 8 In May 2017 Boston Mayor Marty Walsh announced a planned two year expansion adding 70 new stations and offering year round service 14 As of 2017 Boston was ranked as the city with the fifth largest bike sharing system in the United States after New York City Chicago Washington D C and Minneapolis 15 The rankings are determined by the number of hubs or stations At that time Boston had 184 stations Re branding to Bluebikes Edit Map On March 7 2018 Hubway announced a six year partnership with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts which included a system wide rebranding as Bluebikes an expansion of 3 000 total bikes and an addition of over 100 new stations by the end of 2019 Prior to this partnership the Boston portion of the system had been sponsored by Boston based athletic company New Balance The new sponsorship with Blue Cross covers all four municipalities The name change took effect on May 9 2018 with the release of new and re branded bicycles On June 4 2019 Bluebikes set a single day ridership record with users taking 10 035 trips the first time the ride share has ever exceeded the 10 000 rider mark for a single day On September 19 2019 Bluebikes passed 10 million total rides Two years later on September 11th 2021 Bluebikes hit its highest single day record with over 18 000 rides 16 In 2020 Bluebikes expanded to Newton Revere Chelsea Arlington and Watertown adding over 30 new stations to the system The following year in June Bluebikes was launched in Salem with seven stations bringing the system s span to 10 municipalities Bluebikes continued to expand in 2021 with projects pursued in Dorchester Mattapan and Hyde Park 17 In 2022 the system expanded to three stations in Medford 18 and three in Malden 19 By 2023 there were over 4 000 bicycles in the system at over 400 stations with Salem up to 18 stations 20 Equipment Edit Bluebikes at Ruggles station 2019The system uses bicycles designed and manufactured by Montreal based PBSC The majority of docking stations are also supplied by PBSC while the newest docking stations are designed and manufactured by 8D Technologies The platform behind the bike share system is created by 8D Technologies who also supply the server technology for BIXI Montreal Citi Bike in New York City Santander Cycles in London Capital Bikeshare in Washington DC and others Each Bluebike comes with a basket adjustable seat and kickstand For safety during night time riding they have self powered lights at the front and back of the bike On the left handlebar Bluebikes are equipped with a bell and the right handlebar has a continuous gear shifter Bluebikes renters may download the app on their Android or iOS device 21 The app was developed in 2017 and is free to download 22 The app provides information on the status e g current trip length of the rental but it is not required in order to rent a Bluebike The app allows up to four bikes to be rented out simultaneously on one account On the app s map docks appear as green when there are a sufficient number of bikes at the station Conversely they appear as red when there are little to none available Rental service Edit Kiosk at Buswell Street Station 2021To unlock the bike s a person must first purchase a pass using a credit or debit card at the solar powered 22 station kiosk or on the Bluebikes app A five digit numeric code will be given For users with monthly or yearly plans a physical bike key can be requested When a Bluebikes user inserts their key or enters the code into a keypad next to the bike the bike detaches itself from the dock As a renter finishes their trip they push the bike into the dock and hold it until the light next to the dock turns green to confirm a successful lock In the case that a Bluebike is not returned to a dock within 24 hours the renter may be charged a lost bike fee of 1 200 23 Types of passes Edit A trip begins when a renter removes a bike from a dock and it ends when the renter returns the bike to the dock With Monthly and Annual Memberships bikers are allowed to take an unlimited number of trips per day with each one lasting less than 45 minutes Bluebikes Passes Type Pass duration Trip duration Cost per bikeSingle trip 30 minutes 30 minutes 2 95Adventure pass 24 hours 2 hours 10Monthly membership 1 month 45 minutes 25Annual membership 1 year 45 minutes 109 The Bluebikes app tracks the time and length of each trip taken If a renter exceeds the time limit of their pass Bluebikes bills the renter 2 50 for each additional 30 minutes Incentive to ride EditIncome Eligible Program Edit Rental kioskIn the spring of 2018 as Motivate worked towards expanding the bike share program attention was also focused on increasing membership opportunities for folks who may not have been able to pay the full price Bluebikes offered an expanded Income Eligible Program that offers membership rates of 5 per month or 50 per year which are discounted from the standard prices of 25 per month or 109 per year as of 2021 24 25 Residents can qualify for these discounted rates via their participation in any one of eleven different assistance programs including EBT cards Pell Grants MassHealth and Public housing initiatives 26 Additionally the Bluebikes program offers a subsidized yearly membership fee of 5 for guests or clients of transitional housing options and homeless shelters located within the city of Boston 24 Those who qualify for these discounted rates have access to unlimited 60 minute trips an increase from the standard 45 minute rides providing additional incentives in order to increase membership among a subset of the population that previously could not access their services 26 Mayor Marty Walsh has said that these changes to the Bluebikes initiative are in line with the goals of Boston s Go Boston 2030 transportation plan which focuses on promoting transportation equity 26 27 Jay Walder who was the CEO and President of Motivate in the spring of 2018 stated that the Income Eligible Program would make Bluebikes accessible for Bostonians regardless of income and that these efforts to provide access should serve as a model for sustainable transport initiatives across the country 26 Starting on October 5th 2019 Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts began to sponsor 1 single rides on weekends until the end of 2019 to help combat transportation challenges arising from MBTA shutdowns Blue Cross has also donated 10 000 to the Bluebikes Income Eligibility Program to increase affordability Other discounts Edit Bluebikes provided free trips with one time use codes to travel to polling places 28 in 2020 and COVID 19 vaccination 29 sites in 2021 On each Monday of August 2021 Bluebikes offered complimentary Adventure Passes as a part of their celebration for National Wellness Month The campaign titled Mindful Mondays was sponsored by Blue Cross Blue Shield 30 Various companies and colleges including Massachusetts Institute of Technology Boston University Emerson College Harvard University and Tufts University have enrolled in the Bluebikes Corporate Partner Program This allows individuals of those organizations to enroll in a Bluebikes membership at a discounted rate subsidized by their respective company 31 Bike Angels rewards program Edit Similar to the bike sharing systems of New York City and Washington D C Bluebikes also offers a rewards system to incentivize renters to move bikes to certain docks This is set up to alleviate the company s amount of transportation work A renter receives points when they bring a bike to a sparsely populated dock or take a bike out of a full dock The points are updated every fifteen minutes and vary depending on the severity of excess supply or demand Rewards include free adventure passes for friends membership extensions and gift cards 32 Criticism EditBluebikes renters have complained on Tripadvisor 33 Reddit 34 Yelp 35 and various other sites that they have found the service to be unsatisfactory Customers have criticized Bluebikes for equipment shortcomings unsuccessful bike docks old stations and heavy bikes and adjustable seats falling mid ride 35 The technology is reported to occasionally fail with invalid codes and incorrect charges made to bank accounts 34 Regarding the physical accessibility some users are unhappy with their experience of bikes being unavailable at certain stations and conversely being unable to find an available dock in order to return the bike 33 See also EditCycling in Boston List of bicycle sharing systems Citi BikeReferences Edit a b c MilNeil Christian July 26 2021 Bluebikes System Celebrates 10th Anniversary By Smashing A Ridership Record StreetsBlogMass Retrieved September 30 2021 System Data Blue Bikes Retrieved October 3 2021 Getting Around Cambridge City of Cambridge 2019 Enwemeka Zeninjor Hubway Will Become Blue Bikes And The Fleet Will Grow WBUR FM Retrieved March 7 2018 Fisher Jenna May 18 2018 Hubway Trades Green For Blue Bikes Starting Today Retrieved May 9 2018 Mayor Menino Signs First Ever Bike Share Contract Launching Hubway in Boston City of Boston Retrieved December 31 2011 Hubway Bike Sharing Program Gets Rolling WBUR FM July 29 2011 Retrieved December 31 2011 a b Hubway Media Kit Hubway Retrieved September 12 2014 Vaccaro Adam December 5 2014 Hubway Workers Elect to Join Transit Union The Boston Globe Retrieved October 4 2021 Jackson Derrick Z October 14 2014 Hubway should extend do good efforts to its own employees The Boston Globe Retrieved October 4 2021 Lydia DePillis October 24 2014 D C Bikeshare workers look to unionize and build a nationwide Bikeshare powerhouse The Washington Post Retrieved October 4 2021 Cancino Alejandra November 3 2014 Union seeks to represent Divvy workers Chicago Tribune Retrieved October 4 2021 Enwemeka Zeninjor December 3 2015 Ready To Ride Hubway Expands Winter Operations WBUR FM Retrieved December 3 2015 Vaccaro Adam May 25 2017 Hubway set for big expansion and year round service The Boston Globe Retrieved May 26 2017 Malouff Dan September 26 2017 All 119 US bikeshare systems ranked by size ggwash org Greater Greater Washington Retrieved September 30 2021 ridebluebikes September 13 2021 That s right it s another DOUBLE RECORD WEEKEND Tweet Retrieved September 27 2021 via Twitter Bike Share Expansion 2020 2021 Boston gov July 15 2020 Retrieved September 27 2021 Medford To Add Three New Bluebike Stations medfordma org August 31 2022 Malden To Add Bluebike Stations patch com August 18 2022 Bluebikes pedals on expands with new stations Get the App Blue Bikes Boston Retrieved October 1 2021 a b Bluebikes MediaKit Logos Photos amp Stats Blue Bikes Boston Retrieved October 1 2021 Annual Membership Blue Bikes Boston Retrieved September 30 2021 a b Income Eligible Program Bluebikes Retrieved November 3 2019 Mitchell Jack May 30 2019 Biking in Boston What To Know Before You Get Rolling WBUR FM Retrieved November 3 2019 a b c d Fisher Jenna March 23 2018 Boston Metro Hubway Expands Income Eligibility For Bike Share Patch Media Retrieved November 3 2019 Go Boston 2030 Boston gov City of Boston February 24 2017 Retrieved November 3 2019 Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Offers Free Bluebikes Rides to the Polls on Election Day Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts October 21 2020 Retrieved September 27 2021 Residents eligible for free Bluebikes rides to get vaccine WCVB April 19 2021 Retrieved September 27 2021 Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Sponsors Free Bluebikes Rides on Mindful Mondays in August Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts August 5 2021 Retrieved September 30 2021 Bluebikes Corporate Program Blue Bikes Boston Retrieved September 30 2021 Bike Angels Blue Bikes Boston Retrieved September 30 2021 a b Joy733 June 20 2021 Bluebikes Sturdy bike but many system errors Review of Hubway Bike Rental Boston MA Tripadvisor Retrieved October 1 2021 a b KingKombo August 26 2019 Bluebike taking me a on a ride for 1200 Reddit Retrieved October 1 2021 a b BlueBikes Reviews Yelp Retrieved October 1 2021 External links Edit Media related to Bluebikes at Wikimedia Commons Official website Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Bluebikes amp oldid 1171119172, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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