I took a bikeshare ride in Boston on Sunday and, with Americans
feeling less free these days, it makes me sad to know that one solution
that is so obvious and simple is sitting right in front of our eyes.
The one thing that struck me above all else as I wheeled
along the cobbled streets of South Boston, comforting breeze in my hair, was how free I felt. I was able to
take a two-and-a-half-hour tour on Hubway, Boston’s excellent bikeshare system,
for a total of $6. In the old days, it would have easily cost $30 or so to take
a bike tour of any city.
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Before I left, I printed a map of sites to see on bikeable
roads. I loaded the Hubway app on my iPhone, which I especially love because a
compass arrow appears that points you to the nearest bikeshare station, of
which there are plenty in Boston. And I took out five different bikes over 150
minutes in order to keep each bike rented for less than 30 minutes, thus
avoiding any extra fees.
There is clearly no better way to experience a city, and in a way so
equitably for all. You could barely see any sites in that timeframe riding in a car. And you wouldn’t see nearly as many if you walked.
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Having never been to Boston before, it was heartening to see
a city truly in love with bicycles. Lots of bike lanes. Hubway. Clearly tons of
infrastructure geared to cyclists in Cambridge around Harvard University.
Dozens and dozens of bikes parked at the Beacon Hill Whole Foods and various
other bustling spots throughout the area.
The
route I took would be ideal for any bicycle tourist. I started between
Faneuil Hall and the Inner Harbor, went up through the North End Italian
district, to the beautiful greenways along the Charles River, around Fenway
Park, past the brownstones of South Boston on Rutland and Concorde squares and
the SW Corridor Path, and ending near Boston Common.
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| Gratuitous photo of my baby daughter next to Larry Bird's shoes. |
Nothing against the many Duck tours that circle through the
city loaded with tourists, but there is something distinctly “unfree” about
being stuck on those tours – fun as they may be, from a different perspective.
Yes, if there’s one thing Americans can do this Fourth of
July to reclaim our freedom, it’s hop on a bike … or a bikeshare.
It is exciting and heartening to travel on a bike in a city where you came for the first time. When travelling on bused or cars, you are not able to see the beauty of any place in that way that you can enjoy on a bike ride. Bikeshare is a great service nowadays and have made travelling easier for tourists around the world.
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