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Comments
Hooray!
I just used Hubway to do a Trader Joe's run, knowing that it might be my last chance. This year they have kept the system open much longer and I have really appreciated that.
It was a lovely run down Comm Ave this noontime. Chilly, but very pleasant.
I wish they could keep the North Station to Seaport/Fort Point stations open for my friends who use it to get around the shitty public transit connections. (one mile ride <10 minutes versus waiting for an orange or green to red to silver eternity)
Have your friends...
...heard of the #4 bus? I mean, the scheduling of the #4 is completely over my head and I don't even want to figure it out, but it's a one seat ride.
Not to be too presumptuous,
Not to be too presumptuous, but assuming they have smart phones, there are even apps for knowing when that bus will come!
Again, 10 minutes < 1/2 hour
At rush hour, that's the difference.
Plus whatever wait at one end and walk at the other end.
It may not be what the schedule says, but that is the reality. Add in 100 new intimately close friends to share your journey and you get the point. Just because a bus exists doesn't make it run on time in a convenient fashion.
Hubway is most commonly popular where the T doesn't have a good answer.
My coworkers store POS bikes with dual u-locks at North Station to solve the same problem (and walk the mile to get there on Friday night and Monday morning so their bikes stay in the garage).
Theyre actually closing this
Theyre actually closing this year earlier than last year, by a day.
Good time for it
Because testing winter rentals in the summer would be kinda silly.
Its of the utmost importance
Its of the utmost importance that they "test" something that doesnt need testing.
Toronto Bixi has been out for 2-3 winters. Same bikes, same systems, colder weather, and more snow.
DC has never closed. Yes, their winter is less harsh, but they do get their share of snowmaggedons.
Why is Boston so special again that it needs its own test?
In DC
A snowmageddon is anything over half an inch.
Because each city is
Because each city is different? Maybe people in Toronto are more hardcore. Maybe DC has milder enough winters. Maybe Boston has worse plowing or narrower streets that leads to roads being less suitable to biking. Maybe Boston salts its roads more leading to more corrosion. Or maybe Hubway just has less funding to be able to keep operating over the winter.
Hubway is not Bixi is not Capital Bikeshare. They are each different systems, in different environments, with different users. Sure, they use the same bikes and stations, but there are enough differences that you can't necessarily extrapolate directly from one to the other.
Good Test?
It would be annoying if the ridership dropped because 75% of the stations are closed (All of Boston, Brookline, Somerville) and they blame it on the weather.
Cambridge-only test
I think the theory here is that most of the Cambridge bikes stay in Cambridge and aren't taken over the river. Whether that's true, I don't know. I wish Somerville would join the Cambridge experiment. I'll suggest it at tonight's Somerville Bike Committee meeting, but it may be too late now.
The theory vs. the practice.
There is no theory, and it doesn't involve the river. It is simply that in Cambridge the Hubway stations are mostly off street and so won't be interfering with snow emergencies/plowing.
Maybe they'll test clearing the bike lanes too
Most towns, Cambridge included, haven't bothered making sure that bike lanes are clear of snow and encroaching parked cars during the winter. Hopefully this will prod them to take a different tact this winter. No more of this pls: http://grimlocke.bostonbiker.org/files/2013/02/2013-02-19-16.33.00.jpg
Can't say I'm holding my breath though.
It's not that big a deal when
It's not that big a deal when there's some snow in a bike lane. The guy in the picture is doing just fine.
But it's very hard to keep separated (sidewalk) bike paths clear. One snow mound in a critical spot and that's it for the whole block. And these mounds tend to last for weeks after a big storm, long after roads are totally clear. http://john-s-allen.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/DSCF0005night1.jpg
>And these mounds tend to
>And these mounds tend to last for weeks after a big storm, long after roads are totally clear.
Piles of snow block regular bike lanes for weeks after storms too. The photo I linked to was taken 10 days after the snow fell, and that pile remained long after that.
I agree that clearing them isn't high priority, but it should be done eventually. Most cities, including Cambridge, refused to clear them even after all other lanes/streets were clear. I don't see why that should be acceptable.
Because
a) far fewer cyclists use bike lanes in the winter and b) cyclists can navigate streets perfectly fine without the "entitlement" lanes (this is supported by the fact that current law doesn't require cyclists to actually stay within bike lanes when they are provided).
Your first point is a bit of
Your first point is a bit of a self-fulfilling prophesy. But the real problem is not the absence of bike lanes. The problem is that snow in the bike lanes in unpredictable, requiring bikes to merge left. Sure, this can be done, but it's a safety risk to bikes and it slows auto traffic.
Heck, I'd even accept it if towns actually articulated policies like "we will not dispatch plows to clear bike lanes" and "it is acceptable for cars to park in the bike lane if snow obstructs the parking lane." But I find the current practice of simply ignoring requests for clearing snow and enforcement of parking rules for weeks after a snowfall totally unacceptable. It's like if they decided to forgo picking up the trash--no, it's not an immediate public safety concern, nor is it something that has dire economic consequences, but it's a) ignoring a responsibility and b) very annoying.
Regarding your second point, there was a ruling this summer that held that the responsibility to facilitate passing meant bikes must ride as far right as practical. The logic used in that ruling would indicate that bikes may not ride in the travel lane if a bike lane is provides, with exceptions for safety, turning, etc. I don't agree with the rationale the judge used, but stare decisis. *shrug*
Why cyclists don't stay in bike lanes
When you can figure out how to solve this "entitled douchebag parking" issue, you can start babbling and drooling about it in good faith:
Yup. And it's easy to move a
Yup. And it's easy to move a foot to the left when there's snow in the bike lane.
But when a sidewalk path is blocked, you're out of luck. And if the street is narrower than it used to be because they built a sidepath, things are worse than before.
What happens to bike lanes after snowstorms
They plow the snow to the side of the street loosing about a ft of surface area. Forcing cars to park a ft closer into the street. The city isn't going to ban parking all winter for the benefit of a minority group of bikers. Also how safe is it with our narrow road ways. Boston is an old town and were working with what we have. Not to mention the potential for serious injury must increase when road ways are slick.
in some places ...
They plow the bike lane. If the cars can't fit, they can't park and are ticketed and towed.
That's how Copenhagen stays up on two wheels all winter.
This is not Copenhagen.
Here's the thing. If you aren't skilled enough to ride a bike in the Boston/Cambridge in the winter then don't do it. Use public transportation. I'm more concerned with snow clearing priority going to areas with high concentrations of elderly or people with physical disabilities than I am for able-bodied people who choose to ride a bike rather than walk or take public transportation in the winter. Sorry, but just because you CHOOSE to ride a bike in the winter as opposed to walk or take public transportation, does not make you a VICTIM. Work it out and stop whining that Copenhagen can do it!
not a good idea for unskilled cyclists
Those skilled enough to ride in urban areas in winter conditions would never go for one of those amateur rentals. Leave winter cycling to those who know what they're doing, who actually own a bike. Sorry kiddos!
Unskilled tourist cyclists
A ridiculous tourist on a Hubway bike almost clipped me the other day at the intersection of Charles and Boylston, which she had no idea how to navigate. Her and her cycling tourist companion then went up onto the sidewalk on Boylston and continued on the sidewalk, wobbling along, paying no heed to pedestrians. The sidewalk was slippery from rain and fallen leaves. And Hubway wants to allow people to do this in the winter?
Oh please
Road conditions vary winter to winter, but lets face it: streets get plowed, sidewalks get ignored.
There are days in the winter when I've gone out on two wheels because the sidewalks are too impassible and the bus stops are plowed up. In other words, sometimes cycling is actually SAFER than walking because municipal priorities are to spend the money clearing the roads. I would far rather be out on a bike than walking in the middle of the street because every other householder doesn't shovel like he or she is required to, cities don't ticket aggressively or train their plow monkeys right, and cities and towns favor car usersover sidewalk access when they spend tax money.
The main hassles in winter generally aren't ice and snow related anyway - they are high winds and bitter temperatures and darkness. You need to have some investment in clothing to make the worst days work. However, a good 80% of the winter days in a typical or mild winter will not pose any challenges that summer does not and that standard winter coats and hats and gloves can't handle.
I've been doing this for about thirty years. Six of those have been unusually snowy winters, and only four have been superbad snowy winters. Only one winter was super bitter. Even then, roadways were dry and clear most of the time in most of the winters. Fancy Finnish tires and special ice riding skills are not required.
BTW - I use hubway all the time for errands when I'm in the city, or to join up with the family somewhere, etc. I don't have a problem with the bikes - they are fit for purpose. And I'm someone who has piloted a road bike with 28c tires over the old University Ave (watermelon man) bridge in Lowell as the snow was coming down hard.
Business impact on HubWay
Data shows that about 99% of annual member trips are free. Temporary members are typically tourists and weekenders - the ones taking long trips and paying more. So, unless extending the season brings more members, it doesn't bring more money. An extended season may bring more revenue from tourists, but probably not so much. By only having stations open in Cambridge, members might open their pockets. If they ride to Boston or Somerville, they can't dock there and will keep a bike out longer until returning to Cambridge, thus likely incur fees. Interesting experiment.
"Data shows that about 99% of
"Data shows that about 99% of annual member trips are free. Temporary members are typically tourists and weekenders - the ones taking long trips and paying more."
You mean the annual members, paying $85/year are paying more than the tourists?
Amazing. Go back in your hole.
Try learning ecconomics
Annual members take bikes out for the free time period, rarely going over into added fee times. Is that easier for you to understand? Likewise, extending the season for annual memberships doesn't yield very much additional income for HubWay. They only suffer added operational costs of vans driving bikes around between stations to redistribute them, repairs, and station snow clearing. These operational costs include making some jobs year-round instead of seasonal. You want HubWay to be sustainable, don't you? By paying $85 instead of using one the many discounts, you are helping them stay in business.
bad idea
Dear Hubway cyclists, Please use common sense: don't bike when it's icy! ...especially if you're an inexperience rider -- which you are if you're using Hubway. It's slippery enough on two feet!
I can't tell you how many near collisions I've witnessed between Hubway renters and cars, Hubway renters and pedestrians, and Hubway renters and other cyclists in Boston/Cambridge during non-winter months! The majority of dangerous cycling really does come from inexperienced renters.
Multiple near collisions?
Multiple near collisions?
Heavens me, someone ALMOST got an ouchie! Alert the presses and ban going outside. Something might almost happen again!
Not an 'inexperience' Hubway user
Hubway sent a very nice note to all of us annual members saying essentially 'be careful out there' should we ride during the winter. I thought it very thorough of them. And fantastic to get even more months out of the same annual membership fee.
And, I'm not an inexperienced rider. I use Hubway to have a network of bicycles I can use to get to and from meetings for work without having to put my own bike in peril by thieves. Plus I get a bike with lights and fenders and a rack without having to modify my own sweet ride. :-)
Very sad to me that no Boston stations will be available. My commutes almost exclusively go from my office in Cambridge to meetings in Boston.
Don't forget to walk whatever bike you ride over the Longfellow this weekend! (I'm a rabble rouser, what can I say?)
A misunderstanding of Hubway
Bike shares are used by a lot of different kinds of users. Sure, there are tourists, some of whom are brave enough to ride in the city despite somehow being inexperienced cyclists. I suspect those are a minority, especially given how dangerous non-riders think riding in traffic is. Many people are instead using Hubway as a "last mile" service, to fill in the gap between T stations/bus stops and their destinations. Others use it as a transit system with more/better distributed stations.
Saying that all Hubway users are inexperienced riders is like saying everyone on the bus is an inexperienced driver. Instead, some don't drive at all ... and others are very experienced but prefer not to bring their own car into the city and have to deal with parking.