MBTA Unveils Bike Cages At Alewife Station

Watch Video: Channel 7 video on bike cages at Alewife

The General Manager, joined by Mayor of Cambridge Denise Simmons and various bike advocacy groups gathered at Alewife Station on the Red Line to unveil the T’s first ever unstaffed bike cages. Accessible with a swipe of a Bike CharlieCard, two cages constructed to accommodate 150 bicycles each, will provide customers with a safe, secure, and sheltered location to park their bikes. These cages will more than double bike parking capacity at Alewife station to approximately 500 spaces.

Part of an ongoing campaign to become more bicycle friendly, the MBTA in partnership with MassBike, Livable Streets Alliance, and the MBTA’s Bikes and Transit Advisory Committee have worked very closely over the past few months to introduce this innovative enhancement to the system.

With more and more customers cycling to nearby stations to access public transportation, General Manager expressed his on-going commitment to prioritize bike related enhancements. “As customers become more creative in their commute, we too must be more resourceful in accommodating their commuting needs. Not only are these cages enclosed with security fencing and covered with a canopy, each cage is monitored by surveillance cameras.” “Safety and security are paramount,” added the General Manager.

“The MBTA has done an enormous public service in offering these new bike cages. As gas prices continue to soar, and as our community looks for new ways to incorporate exercise into their daily routines, bicycle ridership is increasing,” said Mayor of Cambridge Denise Simmons. “These new cages will make it safer and more convenient for people to bike to Alewife Station, and not have to fight for space to secure their bicycle. I think this is a very positive development for us all.”

In addition to the introduction of bike cages, General Manager announced the MBTA Transit Police Bicycle Theft Awareness Campaign. Throughout the months of September and October, Transit Police Officers will be on duty throughout the MBTA system offering bike theft prevention advice. Officers will also be offering bike owners wallet cards on which they can record their bicycle’s serial number, make, and model.

“We are committed to providing our customers with a strong sense of security when accessing the system,” said Grabauskas. “And that includes protecting our customers’ belongings.”

According to the National Bike Registry there are over 1.5 million bicycles stolen each year. Half of all stolen bicycles end up in police property rooms with no way to notify the owners. Less than 2% of all recovered bikes get returned to their owners.

For more information on the MBTA’s Transit Police Bicycle Theft Prevention Campaign call 617-222-1212.

Charlie BikeCards are available at Alewife Station from a Customer Service Agent, at Downtown Crossing’s Customer Service Center, and information is available at http://www.mbta.com/riding_the_t/bikes/.