| New Balance Hubway | |
|---|---|
| Info | |
| Locale | Boston, United States |
| Transit type | Bicycle sharing system |
| Number of stations | 61 |
| Website | TheHubway.com |
| Operation | |
| Began operation | July 28, 2011 |
| Operator(s) | Alta Bicycle Share |
| Number of vehicles | 600 |
Hubway (officially New Balance Hubway) is a bicycle sharing system in Boston, Massachusetts, sponsored by New Balance and operated by Alta Bicycle Share. The bike share program officially launched on July 28, 2011, and currently has 61 stations and 600 bicycles. Planned expansions in the spring of 2012 will add more stations in Boston as well as the neighboring cities of Brookline, Cambridge, and Somerville.
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On Earth Day, April 21, 2011, Boston Mayor Thomas Menino signed a 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 nationally recognized Boston Bikes Program, which aims to build Boston into one of the world's premiere cycling cities. The program was fully funded by $4.5 million in grants from the Federal Transit Administration and local organizations.[1]
Hubway officially launched 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.[2]
Hubway offers annual, 3-day, and 24-hour memberships which allow access to the bicycle fleet for three seasons of the year. Like other bike sharing systems in areas that frequently experience snow and ice, Hubway suspends service and removes stations during the winter months.[3] An annual membership costs USD $85. A membership allows users to utilize a Hubway bicycle for 30 minutes at no cost after which a usage fee is incurred, though annual members receive a 25% fee discount.[4]
The system utilizes bicycles and docking stations designed and manufactured by Montreal-based Bixi. There are 61 stations in the Boston neighborhoods of Allston-Brighton, Fenway-Kenmore, Back Bay, South End, Beacon Hill, West End, North End, and the Financial District.
Expansion plans announced in November 2011 will bring the service to the neighboring cities of Brookline, Cambridge, and Somerville as well as expand service within Boston.[5]
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