BICYCLE PARKING AT TRANSIT STATIONS

Providing bicycle racks is one significant way to encourage riders to access transit stations by bicycle. Adequate bicycle parking facilities may contribute to increased transit ridership, especially since conventional bicycles are not allowed on MBTA trains during peak travel periods (bicycles are allowed on all commuter boat trips, and some buses are equipped with bicycle racks).

Staff inventoried MBTA and city/town bicycle racks at 123 rapid transit stations, 124 commuter rail stations, 4 commuter boat terminals, and 3 major bus stops in the fall of 2005 and summer/fall of 2006.

GENERAL FINDINGS
Overall, the number of bicycle parking spaces at MBTA facilities increased by 79% since the previous 1999-2000/2002 inventory. Twenty-five MBTA stations that did not have bicycle parking during the previous inventory now have bicycle racks.

Bicycles were parked in locations other than at bicycle racks at 31 rapid transit stations, 29 commuter rail stations, and one major bus stop. Most of those stations have bicycle racks with utilization of 50% or less. Bicycles parked in areas other than at bicycle racks can be an indication that bicycle racks are not fully serving their intended purpose – to provide a safe and convenient place to park a bicycle. Recommendations were made to improve bicycle parking conditions at these stations and are documented in a PDF document available for download below.

Click here to view the tables containing inventory results at rapid transit stations.
Click here to view the tables containing inventory results at commuter rail stations.
Click here to view the tables containing inventory results at major bus stops and commuter boat terminals.
Click here to view the table of recommendations resulting from this inventory.
Click here to read the full memorandum containing all data, analysis, conclusions, and recommendations.

RAPID TRANSIT
The total number of bicycle parking spaces on the rapid transit lines increased by 56% between the 1999-2000/2002 and the 2005-2006 inventories, during which time there was an 11% increase in the number of bicycles parked at rapid transit stations. This led to the decrease in the bicycle parking space utilization rate, from 48% in the 1999-2000/2002 inventory to 34% in the 2005-2006 inventory. Seventeen percent of rapid transit stations do not have bicycle racks.

COMMUTER RAIL
The total number of bicycle parking spaces in the commuter rail system increased by 130% between the 1999-2000/2002 and the 2005-2006 inventories. The bicycle parking space utilization rate was 17% in the 2005-2006 inventory (bicycle rack utilization was not recorded in the 1999-2000/2002 inventory, so the change in utilization between the two inventory periods could not be calculated). Twenty-two percent of commuter rail stations do not have bicycle racks.

BUS
The utilization of bicycle racks at major bus stops increased from 0% during the 1999-2000/2002 inventory to 43% in the 2005-2006 inventory.

COMMUTER BOAT
Commuter boat terminals were not monitored during the 1999-2000/2002 inventory, but had a bicycle rack utilization of 20% in the 2005-2006 inventory (Hingham was the only location with bicycle racks and bikes parked, however).