Improvements To Bike Access Underway

MBTA General Manager Daniel A. Grabauskas, joined by various bike advocacy groups, and legislative officials gathered at Sullivan Station on the Orange Line to kick-off Bike To Work Week and announce various improvements to bicycle access on the T.

The MBTA is moving forward with an aggressive multi-faceted bicycle program, developed in conjunction with the MBTA’s Bikes and Transit Advisory Committee, MassBike, and Livable Streets Alliance to improve access to public transportation. The “Bikes On The T” Program consists of an aggressive communication outreach plan involving the posting of the T’s new bike policy at all subway stations, and the placement of 500 promotional car-cards throughout the bus system. Over 350 buses and various subway and commuter rail stations will be outfitted with bike racks.

Praising the passion, dedication and support from bike advocacy groups, the Massachusetts Area Planning Council, and the legislature to enhance bike access, General Manager Grabauskas said, “Transit accessibility is key to maintaining our customers and attracting new ones - and that is a goal of mine. To tout the T as a viable option but back it up by making the system easier to use and more convenient is what quality customer service is all about.”

Presently, 125 bike-rack equipped buses serve 19 bus routes in various communities including Cambridge, Somerville, Chelsea, Everett, Medford, Malden, Revere, Charlestown, Burlington, Lexington, Bedford, Belmont, Arlington, Waltham, Watertown, Allston, Brighton, Woburn, and Winchester. By summer, an additional 205 buses serving 41 bus routes will be outfitted making 35% of the T bus fleet, rack equipped. Building on the program to address subway and commuter rail stations, two newly installed bike racks at Sullivan Square are the first of approximately 100 racks to be installed systemwide over the next six months.

MassBike is very pleased that the T’s Bike Program has reached a point where cyclists can begin to rely on the availability of bicycle access to transit,” said MassBike Executive Coordinator, David Watson. “Multi modal transit should be a key component of our transportation strategy and MassBike looks forward to continuing our partnership with the MBTA.”

At the event, attendees participated in a brief speaking program and photo. General Manager Grabauskas ended the ceremony with a reminder of the Commuter Rail Bike Coach available on the Rockport Line weekends beginning Memorial Day.

Click on site below for Map of bike facilities in Massachusetts

In recognition of Bike Week, the Massachusetts Bicycle Plan Update Project Team, organized by the Executive Office of Transportation and Public Works has completed development of an inventory and map of known existing and proposed bicycle facilities in the state.

The map identifies off-road shared use paths as well as on-road bicycle lanes and bicycle routes.

Off-road facilities include paved paths as well as unpaved paths. Unpaved paths are categorized as either existing (improved with a stabilized surface), or unimproved (with a surface currently useable only by mountain bikes or hikers).

On-road facilities include striped bicycle lanes as well as local and long distance bicycle routes. Most of the local routes shown on the map have been designated by the municipality in which they are located. Some represent short links that connect trail sections. Long distance routes include the Claire Saltonstall Bikeway from Boston to Provincetown and Falmouth, Adventure Cycling’s Atlantic Coast Route, and the East Coast Greenway.

Download the map from our project website here, or directly under "What’s New" at http://massbikeplan.org/ Note that the map size is 11MB and will take a few minutes to download.

This month, the Executive of Transportation and Public works plans to provide the first draft map of the proposed routes and links that comprise a planned network. The bicycle network will eventually connect and serve major population centers, transit stations, activity centers, and tourist locations.