Today starts the first day of 30 days in the Orange Line shut down. Many people are considering alternate modes of transportation. One of which is the Blue Bikes that you see all over the city. Already, an estimated 40,000 cyclists take to the roads of Boston but that number is expected to rise in the next 30 days. That is because for the next 30 days, Blue Bikes are FREE in the city (the first 45 minutes of your ride anyway.) Bike shops are also getting an increased number of inquiries from prospective riders. The only thing is, you can’t just expect to get a bike and ride it to work without knowing some basic rules of the road. Regardless of how you are planning to get to work today and everyday for the next 30 days: “Plan ahead,” said Massachusetts Department of Transportation Secretary and CEO Jamey Tesler. “We have a lot of options for Orange Line riders to go online to the MBTA site and a variety of other sites and information that are out there. Review ahead your plan and for both our riders and for drivers, we ask that everyone take their time. Plan extra time and be patient. It is the first work day. There will be adjustments and there will be challenges.”
Here’s what we suggest: GET UP EARLY. Leave your house at least an hour earlier than normal to navigate through potential road blocks (no pun intended.) Plan your route. There are a number of alternate ways for you to get to work in the next 30 days but you have to know what you’re doing ahead of time. Don’t wait until 7am Monday morning to figure out how you’re going to get to work.
If you are planning on taking a Blue Bike to work for the next 30 days, here are some things you need to know abou the service.