Peace in the City

I've traveled on the subways of Paris and New York, and I loved the ease of the Trams in Amsterdam, but Boston's subway system is one of my favorites. I work downtown and live on the local subway line which most people refer to as the “T.” I love living in a city where I don’t have to drive to work everyday. But the commute, however convenient and swift, can get tedious. The heat, the smells, and the crowds are standard for most subways, but they can crush an overworked spirit.

On days when I can take liberties with my commute home, I rent a bike. Boston has a bike share program called the Hubway. They launched it last year for the first time in late July when I was super pregnant. I watched Hubway bikers fly by me as I waddled to and from the subway station. Part of me was curious about bike riding on the hectic city streets of Boston where I've seen taxi's drive backwards the wrong way on one-way fares. Another part of me wondered what a clavicle fracture or a concussion would feel like, should I get into an accident. Boston drivers, pedestrians, and bike riders have many choice words to say about each other. The biking arena out there isn't easy or friendly. But I was determined. I went to the Hubway's website, watched the video on bike safety, and reviewed the rules of biking in Boston. I borrowed my husband's old bike helmet and clipped it to my work bag. Once they set up bike stations last month, I was ready to ride a bike again.

For a discounted annual membership fee thanks to an online coupon, I gained access to more than 600 bicycles docked at 60 stations around the city, three of which are within yards of my office. Yards. The first 30 minutes of bike rental are free, with a small fee for additional minutes. My average trip lasts 17 minutes. I rent a bike three times a week. By rent, I mean I insert my bike key provided with my membership into any bike dock, and it releases the bike. When I return it, I place the bike in the dock, which locks it. I walk away. I track my rides online via the Hubway website. It is a simple and beautiful system.

Bike riding in the city is one of the few ways I feel at peace in such a crazy busy town. Most of the people who work downtown near my office are attorneys, bankers, and accountants. The financial district is a bed of anxiety. When I’m riding a bike, I don’t hear or feel the noise of the city anymore. Most cars just want to speed past me, so I let them.  Then, the road belongs to me. I coast downhill past the Boston Common and angle through the streets to the Southwest Corridor Park bike path in the neighborhood of Back Bay.

Biking shortens my commute on the subway, offers up fresh air after a long day at work, and incorporates exercise into my daily routine. I feel sweaty, but refreshed. Instead of trodding home tired after work, I hop up the stairs to my home with a smile.