Sharing is Good
Boston is a beautiful city. It’s big enough to have everything and then some, yet small enough to manage on foot, or even better, on two wheels.
The other day was so beautiful that I couldn’t stay in my office at lunch. I walked to the end of the block, slipped a credit card into a slot, and checked out a bike.
Boston now has the Hubway Bike Sharing program. Sponsored by several public-spirited organizations (my own among them), we have hundreds of bikes in special “bike docks” all over the city. You can pick up a bike from one dock and return it to another.
Boston did not invent the concept. We stole if from the Bixi system begun in Monreal in 2008, and now spread to cities around the world.
There’s a charge to use the system, and a rental charge based on how long you use the bike. The first 30 minutes are free, then it depends if you’re a casual day user or a member. Members have electronic pass-keys, all others slide a credit card at the pay station.
A very clever electronic lock releases the bike of your choice. They’re all the same: sturdy aluminum bikes with no top-bar for easy mounting and dismounting. Thick heavy-duty puncture-resistant tires filled with nitrogen to keep their pressure longer. The only real adjustment you need to make is the seat post, which is on a quick-release. The gearing is three speed, internal hub, just like the old “English Racers” I loved as a kid. It also has blinking lights and reflectors - they can definitely be seen coming. A front basket area with a big bungee cord - and there’s a bell.
I adjusted the saddle and set off up Massachusetts Avenue. Your granny could manage first gear. Second gear is good for going up Boston’s mostly gentle hills. Third gear is pretty much your travel gear.
Yet even in top gear the bicycle is not fast. It’s heavy and slow, just about right for a city bike.
I hit the Charles River Esplanade and stopped worrying about motor traffic. The Esplanade is crowded with walkers, runners, skaters, skiers (there was a middle-aged gentleman pushing himself along on wheeled skis, I kid you not!), wheelchairs, and baby strollers. Again, the Hubway bike isn’t fast, and it’s just as well.
I had a nice ride around the lagoon a couple times, then rolled down to the Charles River Dam (people who weren’t born here don’t know it’s a dam). Across the dam by the Museum of Science to the Memorial Drive side, then my borrowed wheels took me up the multi-use path to the B.U. Bridge. As I pedaled along, I noticed something strange about my face.
I was smiling.
I pedaled back to Mass Ave, over the bridge, and back to the bike dock. Total time: about 45 minutes. Back in time to grab a sandwich and eat at my desk. A perfect lunch break.
The other good thing about Hubway is that it increases the number of bicycles on the roads. This is good - the more bikes, the more motorists become used to looking out for bikes, the safer it is for everyone.
Vive le Bixi! And Hooray for Hubway!
The other day was so beautiful that I couldn’t stay in my office at lunch. I walked to the end of the block, slipped a credit card into a slot, and checked out a bike.
Boston now has the Hubway Bike Sharing program. Sponsored by several public-spirited organizations (my own among them), we have hundreds of bikes in special “bike docks” all over the city. You can pick up a bike from one dock and return it to another.
Boston did not invent the concept. We stole if from the Bixi system begun in Monreal in 2008, and now spread to cities around the world.
There’s a charge to use the system, and a rental charge based on how long you use the bike. The first 30 minutes are free, then it depends if you’re a casual day user or a member. Members have electronic pass-keys, all others slide a credit card at the pay station.
A very clever electronic lock releases the bike of your choice. They’re all the same: sturdy aluminum bikes with no top-bar for easy mounting and dismounting. Thick heavy-duty puncture-resistant tires filled with nitrogen to keep their pressure longer. The only real adjustment you need to make is the seat post, which is on a quick-release. The gearing is three speed, internal hub, just like the old “English Racers” I loved as a kid. It also has blinking lights and reflectors - they can definitely be seen coming. A front basket area with a big bungee cord - and there’s a bell.
I adjusted the saddle and set off up Massachusetts Avenue. Your granny could manage first gear. Second gear is good for going up Boston’s mostly gentle hills. Third gear is pretty much your travel gear.
Yet even in top gear the bicycle is not fast. It’s heavy and slow, just about right for a city bike.
I hit the Charles River Esplanade and stopped worrying about motor traffic. The Esplanade is crowded with walkers, runners, skaters, skiers (there was a middle-aged gentleman pushing himself along on wheeled skis, I kid you not!), wheelchairs, and baby strollers. Again, the Hubway bike isn’t fast, and it’s just as well.
I had a nice ride around the lagoon a couple times, then rolled down to the Charles River Dam (people who weren’t born here don’t know it’s a dam). Across the dam by the Museum of Science to the Memorial Drive side, then my borrowed wheels took me up the multi-use path to the B.U. Bridge. As I pedaled along, I noticed something strange about my face.
I was smiling.
I pedaled back to Mass Ave, over the bridge, and back to the bike dock. Total time: about 45 minutes. Back in time to grab a sandwich and eat at my desk. A perfect lunch break.
The other good thing about Hubway is that it increases the number of bicycles on the roads. This is good - the more bikes, the more motorists become used to looking out for bikes, the safer it is for everyone.
Vive le Bixi! And Hooray for Hubway!