Hey, there! Log in / Register
Where would you put the first bike-rental stations?
By adamg on Mon, 07/11/2011 - 9:38am
Hubway, the impending bike-rental network, wants your suggestions for where they first start renting bikes sometime this month.
Neighborhoods:
Ad:
Comments
Where the last mile problems begin is too obvious, right?
Those would be, at least: South Station, North Station, Back Bay Station, etc.
The more creative thinkers than I will come up with proposals for locations on the other sides of those problems, but I'll offer several around the Longwood Medical Area and in other areas not served by the "rapid" transit lines - perhaps Watertown Square or Brighton Center?
Simplest first
Every pedestrian exit to the Esplanade/bikeway down the river all the way to Watertown.
Put some bike lanes on the Greenway first
Then put in the bike rental stations, so people can cruise around the water front with minimum fuss. Except for the pedestrians who invariably think that "bike lane" = "place for my family to take up as much space as possible by slowly walking 8 abreast".
Those Reservoir Dog
Those Reservoir Dog motherf*ckers! I hate that.
This is the Bike Sharing we're getting, right?
My source at City Hall says that the locations, and order of build-in, are basically predetermined, due to the fact that they've already gone through multiple hearings. I don't know if that makes this website a marketing ploy, or if perhaps some sense of the City's process has missed the mark with respect to Hubway's planning.
Or maybe it really will affect the locations and/or order of build-in. WTF do I know.
I don't know much, apparently
Only the stations that will be located on public property have had the need for hearings, and as such, only those locations are pre-determined in any way. Hubway seems to be able to put them on private property without having to go through the city for approval, and that seems to be more of what this is about.
-at government center along
-at government center along cambridge street perhaps Hubway bikeracks could replace the shiteous metal barricade fences that have been City Hall's standard way of dealing with turrurism since Sept 12, 2001.... at least the racks could be a functional barrier.
-at major green line stops, since its the only rail-transit in the city that you can't take bikes along
-at stops near the emerald necklace, especially the beginning and end. A Forest Hills location is great for tourists who could directly cross Washington and be able to glide around the arboretum.
-further, it would be cool to see this as a way for people to get from public transit to the large open spaces that may be a bit harder to reach without a car, transferring to buses, or a long walk: Middlesex Fells, Franklin Park, Blue Hills, the Neponset River parks, Millennium Park, Stony Brook Reservation.
-at Maverick Square & Aquarium, to help ameliorate the greatest hitch in Boston cycling: the huge cutoff between the two sides of the city
I think the webpage for
I think the webpage for suggestions is for phase 2 of bike stations, I think I read that on their facebook page or somewhere else. The bike stations for the first phase are planned already, in the shaded green area.
There are some good
There are some good suggestions here- one the waterfront and greenway are taken care of, I'd like to see some at some of the larger grocery stores.
Back Bay
Back Bay serves Amtrak, subway, commuter rail, and a few bus lines. It's also the northern end of the Southwest Corridor bike path. There's plenty of plaza area in front of the station where rental racks could be located, which will be highly visible to introduce bike-sharing to commuters.
I also like the Maverick idea for people who don't get over to East Boston too much, although I'm not sure how bike-friendly that area is.
What's the best T stop with access to the Paul Dudley White bike path along the Charles River? Is it Charles/MGH? That's a good place too.
I guess these all have to be within Boston city limits, otherwise I'd also choose Alewife and Kendall Square in Cambridge.
T-stop near Charles River bike path
Charles/MGH definitely -- but also Science Park, Lechmere, Kendall Square, Harvard Square, and the BU Green Line stops on Comm. Ave. (Blandford St, BU East, BU Central).
West roxbury
West Roxbury is the best location
where?
The Charles River goes through West Roxbury, but the riverside bike path doesn't -- it ends in Waltham.
Science Park
I was thinking Science Park would be good, but it's out of commission for the rest of the year. It's a good future location but not for this month.
Bowdoin and Charles
The quick-fix Red-Blue connector.
Semi-related
Anyone have any info on when the Cambridge/ Somerville/Brookline parts will be coming online? It seems like those are going to be critical to getting the whole thing moving.
I heard Somerville/Cambridge
I heard Somerville/Cambridge this fall, Brookline next spring.