Malden Offers Free Bluebike Memberships As Program Adds Local Stations

MALDEN, MA - Malden residents have a chance to grab a limited number of free 30-day Bluebike memberships thanks to federal coronavirus relief funding and three new bike sharing stations that opened in town in recent weeks, Mayor Gary Christenson announced on Thursday.

The Bluebike program has added Malden locations on Exchange Street at Commercial Street, on the Northern Strand Bike Path at Main Street and at Malden High School on Holden Street.

Passes are available on a first come, first served basis by visiting the link here. Riders must be over the age of 16. Passes will grant unlimited 45-minute trips over a 30-day period, with an additional $2.50 charge for each 30-minute increment beyond an initial 45-minute free rental.

Residents interested in getting a pass should fill out the linked online form. They will then receive an email from bluebikes@cityofmalden.org notifying them if they have received a pass, as noted in Christenson’s announcement.

The Bluebike program already has more than 400 stations throughout Boston and surrounding communities.

Christenson touted the program this week, saying its expansion into Malden will increase access to biking as a healthy and environmentally friendly mode of transportation.

“The Bluebikes program is a great step in promoting safe and sustainable modes of transportation for our many commuters who cannot always rely on travel by car or other forms of public transit,” Christenson said.

Christenson said the city drew on American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) money to pay for introductory Bluebike memberships for residents.

He previously filed an ARPA request for $150,000 to support the local Bluebike program in May, according to publicly available documents

Funding was due to help fund a three-year pilot. It sourced from a $2.2 million subdivision of Malden’s larger ARPA allocation that was specifically earmarked as “Mayor’s Citywide Initiatives.”

Malden also received grant support to add Bluebike stations with the network's latest phase of expansion.

Christenson told Patch on Thursday that roughly $21,000 for 30-day Bluebike memberships is coming as an additional ARPA allocation beyond the $150,000 in baseline costs.

The Bluebike program launched in 2011. It has since grown, boasting 4,000 bikes across 400 stations in Arlington, Boston, Brookline, Cambridge, Chelsea, Everett, Malden, Medford, Newton, Revere, Salem, Somerville and Watertown.

Christenson confirmed plans to bring Bluebikes to Malden in August. While stations are currently limited to three locations around Malden, Christenson said that local offerings could expand further if the now ongoing launch is a success.

Though new to the Bluebike system, Malden is not a stranger to the bikesharing industry.

Lime ran a dockless bikesharing model in town between 2018 and 2020, allowing riders to rent bikes and then leave them when they were done using them. Lime drew criticism from some community members over the years who were frustrated by abandoned bikes littering sidewalks and other public spaces.

Two years after Lime left Malden, Bluebikes arrive with a different bikesharing approach. Riders must rent out and return their bikes to a designated bike station. Those who fail to return bikes face a $1,200 fine, according to the Bluebikes website.

See a full Bluebikes system map with live data on bike availability at stations here.