In recognition of World Car Free Day, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (“Blue Cross”) is sponsoring free Bluebikes Adventure Passes on Thursday, September 22. Unlimited two-hour Adventure Passes, for a 24-hour period, will be available across the Bluebikes system’s 11 municipalities: Arlington, Boston, Brookline, Cambridge, Chelsea, Everett, Newton, Revere, Salem, Somerville, and Watertown. Blue Cross is the title sponsor of Bluebikes, a publicly-owned bike share managed by municipal staff and operated by Lyft.
The state’s largest health plan remains committed to actively improving the environmental health of its communities while expanding public bike sharing as a sustainable and healthy transportation option. Blue Cross is sponsoring free Adventure Passes all day long in hopes that residents will travel via Bluebikes for the day rather than rely on passenger vehicles, helping to reduce emissions, air pollution and road congestion.
According to Biofriendly Planet, biking uses minimal fossil fuels and offers a pollution-free, environmental-friendly mode of transportation. By replacing a car trip with a bike for every commute, approximately 3000 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions could be saved each year. Based on research from The Adventure Cycling Association, just moderate increases in bicycle use each year could save an estimated 6 to 14 million tons of CO2.
“The health of our associates, members, and communities is intimately linked with the health of our environment,” said Jeff Bellows, vice president of corporate citizenship and public affairs at Blue Cross. “As the title sponsor of Bluebikes, we’re committed to expanding public bike sharing in Metro Boston as a sustainable public transportation option, and hope that residents feel encouraged to take advantage of a ‘green’ Bluebikes ride on World Car Free Day.”
Riders can take advantage of complimentary Adventure Passes by downloading and opening the Bluebikes App on a mobile device and entering code “BLUECARFREE”, which unlocks unlimited two-hour Adventure Passes for a 24-hour period. A map of all stations in Metro Boston can also be found here.
Blue Cross has been the title sponsor of Bluebikes since 2018. By partnering with the municipal owners of Bluebikes, Blue Cross continues to support system growth and accessibility, including station expansions, upgrades and additional bikes.