Bike Share Returns to City Streets, This Time in Blue

Special to the Journal

Revere is officially a “Bluebikes” community after rolling out the popular bike share program this week with the installation of stations at City Hall and at the Revere Public Library.

“The roll out of Bluebikes in Revere provides our residents with a low-cost transportation option to travel throughout the City,” said Mayor Brian M. Arrigo.  “The station locations are based on the travel data from past bike share programs, and we anticipate that program will expand in accordance with demand as the community adapts to it.”  Early expansion of the program in Revere will stretch to Beachmont, Shirley Avenue, and Revere Beach.

Revere joins the network of Bluebikes communities that recently expanded into Arlington, Chelsea, Newton, and Watertown.  The communities now form a system that provides bike share service Revere, Boston, Brookline, Cambridge, Everett, and Somerville.

Mayor Arrigo praised Julie DeMauro, Revere’s Transportation Coordinator, for her diligence in bringing Bluebikes to Revere.  “On the city’s behalf, Julie has been negotiating to bring the Bluebikes program into Revere for the last 18 months,” said the Mayor.  “Looking to the future, we see Bluebikes as an important part of the development at Suffolk Downs.  Already, we have received requests from other developers and employers about how they can sponsor a Bluebikes station at their location.”

“We are in a two-year contract with Lyft, Bluebikes parent company,” DeMauro said.  “Under the program, riders can enroll in monthly or yearly membership programs.  Bluebikes also offers a program for Income Eligible riders.  The City will work with employers of Revere to provide corporate membership programs to their employees.”

DeMauro noted that Revere’s earlier experiments with bike sharing programs informed the city in its negotiations and planning.  “Bluebikes is a docked bike program, so the concern about bikes being left around the city is eliminated.  But we learned from our other programs that most of our ridership stems from City Hall easterly towards Revere Beach Station, Revere Beach and Beachmont,” she said. 

She added that consumer’s transportation habits are changing everywhere.  “Overall, bicycle use in the region and across the City has increased.  We expect this trend to continue, especially with the bicycle accommodations and improvements being made to Broadway, the Northern Strand Trail, Ocean Avenue,” said DeMauro. 

Bluebikes is public transportation by bike. Owned and jointly governed by the municipalities of Boston, Brookline, Cambridge, Everett, and Somerville, and now serving Arlington, Chelsea, Newton, Revere and Watertown, Bluebikes is a fast, fun, and affordable transportation option. By the end of 2020, the municipalities expect to provide more than 4,000 bikes and nearly 400 stations for their residents, workers, and visitors. Since launching in 2011, more than 11.5 million trips have been taken on Bluebikes, including more than 2.5 million trips in 2019.

For more information about Bluebikes station locations in Revere and surrounding cities and towns visit www.Bluebikesbikes.com