Cycling in Boston
Cycling in Boston has been a popular activity since the late 19th century for both recreation and commuting, and it has grown in popularity in recent years, aided by improving cycling infrastructure. It is especially prevalent around the campuses of the numerous universities in the city.
Different areas in Boston have varying degrees of bike friendliness. Until recently, the city of Boston has consistently been ranked as one of the worst areas in the country for biking. Bicycling magazine, in its March 2006 issue, named the city as one of its three worst cities in the United States for cycling,[1] whereas Cambridge earned an honorable mention as one of the best cities for cycling with a population of 75,000-200,000.[2]
History
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At the end of the 19th century, cycling was especially popular in Boston, and Outing Magazine at the time described Boston as "the bicycling paradise of America."[3] The city's cyclists were pivotal in the formation of the national organization League of American Wheelmen, and Massachusetts had the largest per capita membership in the league in the 1890s and the largest percentage of women members.[4]
Hubway
Hubway, the city's bicycle sharing system was launched on July 28, 2011, with 610 bicycles and 60 stations in the City of Boston.[5] Later, the system was expended to Brookline, Cambridge, and Somerville. As of September 2014, the system has deployed 140 stations with a fleet of over 1,300 bikes.[5]
The system is operated by Motivate. As of October 2014, it had more than 12,500 annual members, and an over 2.5 million trips have been taken by Hubway riders since 2011 launch.
Winter
Cycling can be challenging in New England winter weather. Until the end of 2013, Hubway was shutdown and disassembled for the winter, at which time 25 stations in Cambridge, remained open during a winter pilot program.[5]
References
- ↑ MacLaughlin, Nina (2006). "Boston Can Be Bike City...If You Fix These Five Big Problems". The Phoenix – Bicycle Bible 2006.
- ↑ "Urban Treasures". bicycling.com. Archived from the original on 2007-10-14.
- ↑ Simmons, Jonathan (23 June 2010). "On Biking: a history of Boston biking, from an author who knows it". Boston.com. Retrieved 25 October 2014.
- ↑ Finison, Lorenz J., Boston's Cycling Craze, 1880-1900, University of Massachusetts Press, May 2014, Accessed: 25 October 2014
- 1 2 3 "Hubway Media Kit". Retrieved September 12, 2014.
External links
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