Transportation
In Times of Crisis, Bikeshare Rolls On
When transit systems stumble, municipal bikesharing services can keep commuters moving — if cities know how to plan properly.
A Boston cyclist passes by the Copley Square shuttle drop-off on Aug. 22, after the MBTA shut down the Orange Line for service repairs.
Photograph: Carlin Stiehl for the Boston Globe via Getty Images
The day after Hurricane Ida dumped a historic amount of rain on New York City last September, I, like so many others, had to figure out a way to work.
My usual option was a no-go: Submerged in water, segments of the subway system were still down. The bus, my back-up, slugged through traffic over the Queensboro Bridge. Once I got to Manhattan, I hopped off and ran for a third, quicker option: a royal-blue Citi Bike.