Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Sponsors Bluebikes Valets to Help Expand Bike Availability During MBTA Shutdowns

Additional valet service creates more capacity at some of the busiest stations and complements City of Boston's free 30-day pass offer

BOSTON, Aug. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- To help support Metro Boston residents during the upcoming Orange and Green Line shutdowns, Bluebikes title sponsor Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (Blue Cross) will sponsor additional valet service at four Bluebikes stations, expanding accessibility to the public bike share system at peak usage times. Bluebikes is owned by the system's 11 municipalities and operated by Lyft.

With an expected increase in Bluebikes ridership during the Orange and Green Line closures, the valet service will help expand bike and dock availability at some of the busiest stations and provide an accessible and alternative mode of transportation during the shutdowns. The additional valet support, sponsored by Blue Cross and in partnership with the City of Boston, will be available to riders at select Bluebikes stations weekdays from Monday, August 22, through Friday, September 16, during the hours of 7-11 am and 3-7 pm. To find real-time valet service locations, please visit the System Map on the Bluebikes website or the Bluebikes app and look for the Valet icon at your destination station to confirm service is active.

"We're committed to promoting accessible, healthy transit options in our communities, including through continued collaboration with our partners across the Bluebikes municipalities," said Jeff Bellows, vice president of corporate citizenship and public affairs at Blue Cross. "We hope that our support of Bluebikes will help support greater Boston residents through the MBTA shutdowns."

In conjunction with the additional valet support during this time, the City of Boston has also announced free 30-day Bluebikes passes during the MBTA closures to further support the community. To access free passes, which are available beginning August 19, residents can download the Bluebikes app or navigate to Bluebikes.com/join and select a Monthly Membership. Existing Bluebikes users can log into their online account and select "Renew Membership." Current monthly members with auto-renew turned on will not be charged for the new pass this month.

Blue Cross is in the fifth year of a six-year Bluebikes title sponsorship, which launched in May 2018. Through its partnership with the municipal owners of Bluebikes, Blue Cross continues to support system growth and accessibility, including station expansions, upgrades, and additional bikes, and is pleased to be able to support the city of Boston during this scheduled MBTA maintenance.

Bluebikes is public transportation by bike. The system is jointly owned and managed by the Cities of Boston, Cambridge, Everett, Salem and Somerville and the Town of Brookline. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts is the system's title sponsor. Riders can find 400 stations and 4,000 bikes across 11 municipalities in Metro Boston. Since 2011, more than 14 million trips have been taken by bike share. For more information about Bluebikes, visit bluebikes.com.

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 the relentless pursuit of quality, affordable and equitable health care with an unparalleled consumer experience. Consistent with our promise to always put our members first, we are rated among the nation's best health plans for member satisfaction and quality. Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

SOURCE Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts