Biking, a heavily-touted transit alternative, is taking off during the Orange Line shutdown, according to ridership numbers from the bike share company the city is partnering with.
Use of Bluebikes surged by 44% during the first week of the 30-day Orange and partial Green Line closure, according to the program’s title sponsor, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, which said that increase compares to what is seen on a typical summer day.
Jeff Bellows, BCBSMA vice president of corporate citizenship and public affairs, said the Bluebikes system, which operates throughout greater Boston, had a record-breaking day last Thursday, with more than 20,511 trips.
“The expectation is that we’ll probably break that again over the weekend,” Bellows said. “People are not as inclined to want to get onto a bus. They’d rather get on a bike on a nice day and get a little exercise. It’s really good for your physical and mental health to ride a bike.”
The MBTA, MassDOT and Boston City Hall, particularly Mayor Michelle Wu, have been pushing biking as a good alternative to driving during the shutdown, which has exacerbated traffic congestion on highways and reconfigured city streets.
The City of Boston has been offering free, 30-day Bluebikes passes and MassDOT worked with the MBTA and Boston Cyclists Union to compile a bicyclist guide, which includes recommended routes for avoiding the areas the Orange Line shuttle buses are weaving through.
Bellows said Blue Cross Blue Shield is also working to make biking easier during the shutdown by providing Bluebikes valet docking service at four busy transportation hubs during peak hours, at an $80,000 cost to the healthcare company.
These stations can be found at Boston City Hall, the Ruggles MBTA station, Boylston Street at Dartmouth, and Nashua Street at Red Auerbach Way in the North End. The service is available from 7-11 a.m. and 3-7 p.m. on weekdays.
He said the idea for valet service came about through conversations with municipalities located along the Orange Line and Lyft, the operator of the Bluebikes system, about ways to make the commute easier for people who were using the eBikes.
“It’s kind of a nice alternative for people who are trying to navigate commuting into the city during the time of the shutdown,” Bellows said.
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