It may or may not come as a surprise that Boston is one of the best cities to bike in, as ranked by NBC. A brief history lesson: Boston was once cited as one of the worst cities for cycling, with only 60 yards of bicycle lanes. 5 years later and a new bicycle initiative, there are over 50 miles of bikeways, 2,500 bike parking spaces, and 850 bike racks. Of course, let's not forget the much lauded and successful (and to the envy of New York City) bike-share program, the Hubway. Since the Hubway's launch in the summer of 2011 with 600 bikes and 60 stations in Boston, it's now edging over 5,000 members. It's also eying an expansion in Roxbury, Downtown, and the Back Bay as well as Charlestown, Jamaica Plain, and Dorchester. Cambridge, Brookline and Somerville are finalizing their contracts and will be launching later this season more than 30 stations this year.
Is this all part of a bigger picture? Slowly but surely, the car is being edged out as "the king of Boston," as Mayor Menino likes to say. Parklets, patio-like little parks carved out of one to three existing parking spaces are coming. New developments and public transportation go hand in hand, sometimes it's even a prerequisite for approval. Next time you see a bike rack or even better, a Hubway station, you know change is coming. - Brenda Phan
· Great American Cities for Cycling [NBC.com]
· Mayor Menino Kicks Off Second Season of New Balance Hubway [Hubway]
· Hold Your Head Up, Hub: We Beat New York on the Bikes [Curbed Boston]
· Boston Bikesharing Returns With Added Spokes [Curbed Boston]
· One Word: Transit-Oriented—JP's Jackson Square Is the Future [Curbed Boston]
· Bloodless Coup in Boston! Car Overthrown as King! [Curbed Boston]