No bike share in JP yet


John Ruch

A new public bicycle-sharing system set to be launched by the city this summer will not have Jamaica Plain locations at first.

But the city hopes to expand the program to JP “shortly,” according to Nicole Freeman, director of the city’s bike program and a JP resident.

Residents of northern JP may have nearby access to bike-share stations in the adjacent Mission Hill neighborhood, possibly including at Brigham Circle on Huntington Avenue. But the Mission Hill locations are not definite, Freeman said.

Called “Hubway,” the program allows people to rent a bike from a station and return it to any other station around the city. It will start with more than 600 bikes at 61 stations around the city. Rentals of 30 minutes or less are free; a daily rental will be about $5; and annual memberships will be $85. The program will use a swipe-card system similar to the MBTA’s CharlieCard.

Mayor Thomas Menino announced Hubway last week. It will be operated by Oregon-based Alta Bicycle Share.

The plan is to expand the bike-share program until it covers Boston and surrounding cities and towns, according to a city press release.

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