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MIT celebrates Hubway’s launch in Cambridge

Institute sponsors two bicycle-sharing stations on campus; offering subsidized annual membership to the community.
The new Hubway bicycle-sharing station outside of Building W11 on Massachusetts Avenue.
Caption:
The new Hubway bicycle-sharing station outside of Building W11 on Massachusetts Avenue.
Credits:
Photo: Adam Serafin, Department of Facilities

On Wednesday morning, MIT joined the city of Cambridge in celebrating the official launch of Hubway, the bicycle-sharing system, in the city.

Hubway cyclists from MIT gathered at the new “MIT Mass Ave.” station in front of Building W11 for a pre-launch ride to the official Cambridge launch ceremony at 11 a.m. on the front steps of the Main Post Office in Central Square, across from City Hall.  The ceremony included remarks from Cambridge Mayor Henrietta Davis, local and state officials, as well as Harvard, MIT and other Hubway sponsors.

Davis said she hopes that people will realize just how easy it is to use Hubway to get around Cambridge. “Hubway is yet another way residents and visitors to our city can explore and enjoy Cambridge with healthy, car-free transportation.”

The Hubway bicycle-share system consists of modular, self-service bicycle rental stations distributed throughout Boston, Cambridge, Somerville and Brookline. Users subscribe to a 24-hour, three-day or annual membership to access the bicycles. Trips completed in fewer than 30 minutes are free, and longer trips are charged an hourly rate. The bicycles can be rented from one station and returned to any other station in the network, making the bicycles a practical alternative to short trips by car and functioning as the “last leg” of trips by mass transit.

“Access to a bike-share system will provide the MIT community with an additional transportation option for both intra-campus and city-wide travel,” said Larry Brutti, operations manager for MIT Parking and Transportation. “The expansion of Hubway into Cambridge, Somerville and Brookline will provide new connections to so many major destinations in the Boston metro area.”

MIT has sponsored two Hubway stations on campus — “MIT Mass Ave.” located on Massachusetts Avenue and Amherst Street in front of Building W11, and “MIT Stata Center” located between the Stata Center and the Koch Institute on Vassar Street. Additional city-sponsored stations near campus are located at Lafayette Square and Central Square, and future stations are planned for the Kendall Square area.

MIT has signed on as a Hubway Corporate Member, and is offering a subsidized annual membership and discounted hourly rates for members of the MIT Community. Sign-up information is available on the MIT Commuter Connections website at http://web.mit.edu/facilities/transportation/index.html.

“MIT is proud to be a part of the expansion of Hubway in Cambridge,” said Richard L. Amster Jr., director of campus planning, engineering and construction for the MIT Department of Facilities. “Bike share is a convenient, sustainable transportation option for the MIT community, our neighbors, and residents and visitors to Greater Boston.”

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