October 17, 2024 Update:

The Town is pleased to announce that it has received a $244,833.44 MassDOT Shared Streets & Spaces grant to expand its Bluebikes system. This grant will fund the installation of three additional eleven-dock stations and twenty-four bicycles, as well as operating costs to support the overall system.  

DPCD plans to solicit input on the locations of the three stations funded through the MassDOT grant with the Arlington Bicycle Advisory Committee (ABAC). Installation of the new stations is expected to take place by Spring 2025. In an effort to keep all the stations operational year-round, the Town will seek out locations that are off-street so that they do not have to be removed ahead of winter snow plowing operations. 

 The expansion of the Bluebikes system comes as the Town recently implemented three new eleven-dock stations and bicycles with funding previously received from a Boston MPO grant, plus redeployed an existing station at Swan Place on the Minuteman Bikeway.  The Town’s three new stations are on Lake St at the Minuteman Bikeway, Mill St at the Minuteman Bikeway, and Medford St at Warren St.  

Arlington also has stations at the Railroad Parking Lot, Linwood St, Thorndike Field, Mass Ave at Grafton St, and Broadway at Grafton St. Residents can also access the Bluebikes systems’ other 400+ stations throughout the Greater Boston region. View the Bluebikes coverage map. 

October 7, 2024 Update:

Bluebikes will be installing two new stations on the Minuteman Bikeway at Mill St and Lake St on Wednesday, October 9th between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. During this time, the work area will be coned off and only one lane of the bike path will be available. Travelers are asked to exercise caution when traveling through this area, go slow, or avoid the area, if possible. Police details will also be present on Mill St and Lake St to direct vehicle traffic and trail users around the installation equipment. In addition to these new Minuteman Bikeway stations, Bluebikes will also be installing the new Medford St at Warren St station on Thursday, October 10th between 10:00 a.m and 2:00 p.m. All three of these new stations will be operational year-round.

September 19, 2024 Update:

Bluebikes will be installing a new station on the Minuteman Bikeway at Swan Place on Wednesday, September 25th between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. During this time, the work area will be coned off and only one lane of the bike path will be available. Travelers are asked to exercise caution when traveling through this area, go slow or avoid the area, if possible.

 May 21, 2024 Update:

The Town of Arlington is expanding its Bluebikes station network thanks to a $90,667 grant from the Boston Metropolitan Organization's (Boston MPO) Community Connections Program. The expansion will include three additional eleven-dock stations that will be located off-street and operational year-round. As part of this project, the DPW is pouring asphalt pads at three locations for the stations to be placed onto. Work will commence at Mill St on the Minuteman Bikeway the week of May 20th and continue with the other new stations in the following weeks. When completed, the three new stations implemented as part of this grant will include: 

• Mill St. at Minuteman Bikeway. 

• Lake St. at Minuteman Bikeway. 

• Medford St. at Warren St. 

Moving Existing On-Street Stations Off-Street
Since 2020, the Town has kept three of its six Bluebikes stations on-street (Mass Ave at Grafton St, Broadway at Grafton St, and Mass Ave at Broadway). Due to potential conflicts with snow removal operations in the winter, all on-street Bluebikes stations throughout the system need to be removed, stored, and redeployed in the Spring. In an effort to keep Arlington’s Bluebikes system operational year-round, the Town is installing two additional off-street asphalt pads: 

• The former Mass Ave. at Broadway station will be moved to a new location with the new name: Swan Place at the Minuteman Bikeway. 

• The Mass Ave. at Grafton St. station will remain in the same location but will be placed on the adjacent sidewalk. 

Although the Broadway at Grafton St station was redeployed earlier this spring on-street, the Town is actively looking for new locations to site the station off-street. It should also be noted that the Town’s existing three off-street stations (Linwood St at Minuteman Bikeway, Thorndike Field at Minuteman Bikeway, and Railroad Lot at Minuteman Bikeway) will remain in operation with no changes.  

Future Growth
The Town of Arlington has also submitted a grant request to the MassDOT Shared Streets & Spaces Program for funding to add three additional stations. If awarded alongside the Boston MPO grant, this would double the number of Bluebikes stations in Arlington from six to twelve.  

About Bluebikes 
Bluebikes is the Boston region’s bikeshare system with a history that has spanned over a decade, starting with its launch in 2011. Originally known as 'Hubway,’ the program was a joint initiative by the cities of Boston, Cambridge, Somerville, and the Town of Brookline that aimed at providing a new sustainable transportation option for residents and visitors. The system began with a modest number of stations and bicycles, but it quickly gained popularity, reflecting the growing demand for bikeshare in Boston. In 2020, the Town of Arlington joined the Bluebikes system along with the Cities of Watertown, Revere, Chelsea, and Newton.