Bluebikes Bike Share
Bluebikes is Metro Boston's bike share system, owned by the municipalities of Cambridge, Boston, Brookline, Somerville, Everett, Arlington, Chelsea, Newton, Revere, Salem, and Watertown. The Bluebikes bike share system is fully integrated amongst the municipalities, so travel is seamless. Bluebikes users have taken more than 16 million trips since the system launched in 2011! For more news and up-to-date information in general about Bluebikes: www.bluebikes.com.
How Does it Work?
Bike share is a transportation option that allows you to borrow a bike for the amount of time you need and return it when you are done with your trip. Bluebikes has bike share stations located throughout Metro Boston in Cambridge, Boston, Brookline, Somerville, Everett, Arlington, Chelsea, Newton, Revere, Salem, and Watertown. Click here for a map of the entire Bluebikes system. You can borrow a bike from any station and return it to any other station within the system.
There are two options for using Bluebikes: 1) Become a Bluebikes member; or 2) Pay each time you borrow. A Bluebikes membership can be annual or monthly, and includes unlimited rides for up to 45 minutes; longer rides incur additional usage fees. Membership is a good option if you plan to use Bluebikes regularly. If you do not use Bluebikes enough to become a member, you can purchase a single ride or 24-hour pass. Click here to see all options for riders and prices.
Why Use Bluebikes?
Bluebikes provides you with an accessible, affordable, and sustainable transportation option for biking in Cambridge and around the Metro Boston area. Borrow a bike from a Bluebikes station near your home or work and drop it off at a different station near your destination. Bluebikes is a great way to be able to pedal to a lunch meeting, errand or shopping trip, or to visit friends and family without having to worry about storing or maintaining your own bike. Even if you own a bike, Bluebikes is a convenient option for when you are out and about or if you only want to use a bike for one part of your trip. Bluebikes has options that work for everyday users, single trips, and visitors.
How do I Become a Member?
For information about the different membership options and how to join, click here.
Discounted Memberships
Bluebikes currently offers these types of discounted memberships:
- Income-Eligible Bluebikes Memberships: Discounted Bluebikes memberships are available to income-eligible individuals aged 16+ who participate in qualifying public assistance programs OR who meet income guidelines (up to 400% of the federal poverty line). Click here for more information.
- Youth Discount for Cambridge Residents: Discounted Bluebikes memberships are available for Cambridge high school students ages 16-19. These annual memberships are $25 per year. Click here to apply.
- Corporate Membership: Employers and Institutions enrolled in Bluebikes Corporate Program cover part or all of the cost of a Bluebikes membership for their employees or students. City of Cambridge employees should refer to the Transportation Benefits information on the intercity website. Click here to see the full list of corporate partners.
About the Bikes
Bluebikes are easy, fun, and safe to use and ride. They have a sturdy step-thru frame, front and rear hand brakes, a handlebar gear shifter to make pedaling easier or harder, front and rear flashing LED lights, and a handy front basket or rack. Seat height can be easily adjusted, and Bluebikes are designed to be used comfortably by people of a wide range of heights. Learn more about the bikes.
Cambridge Unicorn Bike
In 2020 the City of Cambridge launched its first “Unicorn” bike, special bikes in the Bluebikes fleet with unique artwork celebrating local communities, culture, and achievements. For its Unicorn bike, Cambridge held a design contest open to all high school students who are Cambridge residents. Winner Alba Cruz-Pimentel from the Cambridge Rindge and Latin School is pictured below with her winning bike design. Look out for this bike around Cambridge!
Bluebikes Stations
As of April 2022, Bluebikes had 423 bike share stations, with 73 located in Cambridge. Click here for a map of the entire Bluebikes system. The map displays live data on the availability of bicycles and open docks at each station. Have an idea for a new station? Click here to submit locations where you'd like to see Bluebikes stations.
Bluebikes stations can be located on public or private property and are placed throughout the city to enable people to readily reach there destinations. The stations are solar powered and also include a kiosk for purchases and a two-sided information panel with maps and instructions.
For Employers and Institutions
Become a Corporate Partner
Do you want to support a sustainable transportation alternative for your employees? Through Bluebikes' Corporate Program, employers can subsidize some or all of the cost of a Bluebikes membership for their employees - expanding commuter options, promoting the benefits of active transportation, and showcasing commitment to sustainability.
Click here to learn more about corporate memberships on the Bluebikes website.
Host a Bluebikes Station
Bring a brand new Bluebikes station adjacent to your building to demonstrate your company’s support of sustainable transportation in our region. Bike share offers your community of tenants, customers, and/or employees a convenient and sustainable form of transportation that makes getting around town a breeze!
A standard station includes 19 docks and affords an additional 11 bikes to be added to the fleet. The cost to host a station is typically $75,000 for a 6 year term (based on a 19 dock station). Cost is adjusted for different station sizes or any specialized equipment that may be needed at your location. Benefits of station sponsorship include:
- Champion status membership discount
- Recognition on the station and Bluebikes website
- Acknowledgment on program map (web and mobile)
- One on-site promotional event or member sign-up drive staffed by Bluebikes ambassadors
If you are interested in hosting a Bluebikes station, please contact bluebikes@cambridgema.gov. To view detailed station dimensions, click here.
More About the Benefits of Bike Share
Minneapolis Bike Share Users Spend Thousands More at Nearby Businesses
The University of Minnesota's Humphrey School of Public Affairs looked at the economic benefits for businesses located near a bike share station. They found that on average, users spending an additional $1.29 per trip at local businesses, and that generally the frequented sit-down restaurants, coffee shops bars, and grocery stores. Extrapolated out over the entire system, bike share users were spending an additional $150,000 a year.
Bike Share Stations Attract People to the Neighborhood
The Project for Public Spaces says that bike share stations are natural conversation starters, attract a stream of diverse users at all times of day and night, and become landmarks that concentrate activity - all things that are important for adjacent businesses. Read more here.
Bike Share Cities are Safer
Cities with bike share programs demonstrated a 28% decrease in cycling injuries. Read more here.
Bicycling is Healthy
There is a plethora of evidence proving the health benefits of active transportation in general and bicycling in particular. Here are just a few references.
Bike Share Benefits the Local Bike Shop
Local bike shop owners in Washington, DC noticed an uptick in business after the Capital Bike Share system rolled out. Bike share is getting more people interested in bicycling, growing the entire market for bike shops. Read more here.
Bluebikes Title VI Compliance
As a municipally owned bike share system, Bluebikes is committed to providing outstanding customer service in an equitable manner to all persons regardless of race, color, national origin, gender, religious beliefs, age, disability, sexual orientation, or other protected class. To report a violation of this policy, please fill out a Bluebikes Title VI Complaint Form or contact customer service at customerservice@bluebikes.com or (855) 948-2929.
For More Information
For more information about bike share or to learn more about donating to the bike share program, please contact Cara Seiderman, cseiderman@cambridgema.gov, at 617/349-4629.
Learn more about how bike share in Cambridge and Metro Boston grown over time from the Bluebikes data webpage and Cambridge Bicycle Plan.
For other questions about Bluebikes, go to the Bluebikes website.
For more information about biking in Cambridge in general, visit the City of Cambridge's bicycling webpage.