NBC10 Boston’s Mary Markos took a test ride from Wellington Station in Medford to Government Center Monday morning after city officials urged riders to use Bluebikes as one way way to get around during the Orange Line shutdown.
Officials have been pushing Bluebikes as one way way to get around during the Orange Line shutdown, and the message appears to have gotten through.
Ridership broke a single-day usage record Saturday, with 18,343 bike rides taken, according to the organization. While Sunday didn't have quite as many users, more than 18,000 Bluebike rides were recorded, making for the busiest weekend in its history, too.
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Ridership data wasn't released for Monday, the first full weekday that the Orange Line was shut down — with Green Line service north of Government Center also closed for repairs — but Bluebike racks across the area were empty at times, including in Government Center at various points throughout the day.
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Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, who recently announced that the service would offer unlimited free rides during the Orange Line shutdown, said it appeared to be going well Monday morning while she commuted into the city.
"There were Bluebikes still at many of the docks that we passed by, so it seems that the supply is there and the rebalancing of the bikes is working out," she said, referring to staffers who move bikes to where they're expected to be needed.
On a reporter's test ride from Wellington Station in Medford to Government Center Monday morning, there were some cars in bike lanes — though not all streets on the route had bike lanes at all — and a few wrong turns.
Santiago Arrieda, who was riding into Boston for university, found the situation "a little bit confusing, to be honest."
