Greater
Boston residents can take advantage of up to five free
Bluebikes unlocks for upcoming Blue and Red Line closures, courtesy
of public-private partnership
BOSTON, April 17,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The City of Boston and Blue Cross Blue Shield
of Massachusetts today unveiled
plans to extend Bluebikes support during select, planned MBTA
closures throughout 2024. This initiative provides riders free
unlocks on Bluebikes, the regional public transportation system by
bike, aiming to help people move around the region, and alleviate
the impact of rapid transit disruptions. This builds on the
successful Bluebikes support during the Green Line closure in
February. Free Bluebikes unlocks, limited to five trips per user
each shutdown, will begin with the Blue Line closure Wednesday, April 17 – Sunday, April 28, followed by the Red Line
closure Wednesday, May 1 –
Wednesday, May 8. This continued
collaboration underscores the commitment of the state's largest
health plan and the City to provide affordable and convenient
mobility options to people getting around greater Boston.
For the Blue Line closures beginning on April 17 impacting stops from Maverick through
Wonderland and the Red Line closure beginning May 1 impacting stops from Park Street to JFK/UMass, the City of Boston and Blue Cross and will be
offering five free unlocks for pedal and ebikes for riders who are
not current Bluebikes members, designed to offer relief during the
scheduled MBTA line repair and maintenance. The details of
Bluebikes support for future planned MBTA closures will be
announced later in the year.
Individuals can access the five free unlocks using code
MBTABLUEAPRIL for the Blue Line closure and code MBTAREDMAY for the
Red Line closure through the Bluebikes app, ensuring seamless
integration into their commuting routines. These unlocks are
available to non-members of Bluebikes, regardless of residency, and
can be redeemed at any of the nearly 500 Bluebikes stations across
Greater Boston while supplies
last. Individuals can utilize the code once during each closure and
any unused unlocks will expire at the end of the closure.
"We are proud to contribute to the expansion of accessible and
sustainable transportation options throughout Greater Boston," said Jeff Bellows, vice president of corporate
citizenship and public affairs at Blue Cross. "We believe that this
initiative will not only provide relief to commuters during the
MBTA closures but also introduce new users to the numerous benefits
of the Bluebikes program."
Blue Cross has been Bluebikes' title sponsor since May 2018 and remains committed to supporting and
extending public bike sharing in Greater
Boston as a safe and sustainable public transportation
option through its partnership with the municipal owners of
Bluebikes and Lyft. Since the inception of the Blue Cross
partnership, the Bluebikes system has expanded from four to 13
municipalities, seen a 150% growth in the number of Bluebikes
stations, bolstered its income-eligible program and surpassed 20
million rides taken. Blue Cross and the municipalities recently
announced the renewal of Blue Cross' sponsorship through 2031.
For up-to-date Bluebikes MBTA closure support and additional
Bluebikes information, please visit
https://www.boston.gov/departments/boston-bikes/discounted-bluebikes#mbta-closures-support.
About Bluebikes
Bluebikes is public transportation by bike. The system is
municipally owned by thirteen cities and towns in eastern
Massachusetts, jointly managed by
the Cities of Boston, Cambridge, Everett, and Somerville and the Town of Brookline, and operated under contract
by Lyft. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts is the system's title sponsor.
Riders can find approximately 475 stations and 4,000 bikes,
including ebikes, across the thirteen municipalities: Arlington, Boston, Brookline, Cambridge, Chelsea, Everett, Medford, Malden, Newton, Revere, Salem, Somerville, and Watertown. Since 2011, riders have taken more
than 22 million trips on Bluebikes. For more information about
Bluebikes, visit bluebikes.com.
About Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts
Blue Cross Blue Shield of
Massachusetts (bluecrossma.org) is
a community-focused, tax-paying, not-for-profit health plan
headquartered in Boston. We are
committed to showing up for everyone like they're the only one and
guiding our members to the exceptional health care they deserve –
affordably, equitably and seamlessly. In keeping with our
commitment, we are rated among the nation's best health plans for
member satisfaction and quality. Connect with us on Facebook,
Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
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SOURCE Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts