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2018 Boston Bike Counts

Measuring how many people are riding bikes in the City.

By 2030, our goal is to increase bicycling fourfold. We collect and analyze data each year to understand our progress toward that goal. On this page, you will find data from our 2018 bike counts. We have also included Bluebikes data to provide a deeper understanding of cycling in Boston and the region.

Explore Bike Count Data

Browse our database of bike counts, beginning in summer 2016, and download hour-by-hour summaries. 

View Database

Summer 2018 snapshot

June Counts

In June 2018, we counted people biking at 24 locations over two days. 

View Summary Table

Dates and Weather Conditions

Tuesday, June 12

Weather: High 80°, Low 54°, Partly Cloudy

Wednesday, June 13

Weather: High 77°, Low 59°, Rain

At four of those locations, we counted more than 1,000 people biking on average each day.

  • Massachusetts Avenue north of Back Street: 4,075 people biking
  • Commonwealth Avenue west of Silber Way: 1,359 people biking
  • Longwood Avenue east of Pilgrim Road: 1,329 people biking
  • Columbus Avenue west of Holyoke Street: 1,059 people biking

View summer 2018 data highlights

From 8 - 10 a.m., people biking made up at least 10% of all vehicles traveling at the following locations: 

2018

  • Franklin Street north of Alcott Street: 139 bikes | 22.6 percent of vehicles 
  • Longwood Avenue east of Pilgrim Road: 340 bikes | 21.4 percent of vehicles 
  • At Massachusetts Avenue Bridge north of Back Street: 902 bikes | 21.2 percent of vehicles 
  • Columbus Avenue west of Holyoke Street: 256 bikes | 17.7 percent of vehicles
  • Commonwealth Avenue west of Silber Way: 277 bikes | 12.8 percent of vehicles
  • Commonwealth Avenue east of Berkeley St: 264 bikes | 12.1 percent of vehicles
  • A Street north of Iron Street: 211 bikes | 11.7 percent of vehicles

From 5 - 7 p.m., people biking made up at least 10% of all vehicles traveling at the following locations: 

Fall PM 2019 Peak Bike Counts

  • Franklin Street north of Alcott Street: 189 bikes | 24.8 percent of vehicles 
  • Massachusetts Avenue Bridge north of Back Street: 906 bikes | 19.7 percent of vehicles 
  • Longwood Avenue east of Pilgrim Road: 286 bikes | 19.6 percent of vehicles 
  • Columbus Avenue west of Holyoke Street: 230 bikes | 14.4 percent of vehicles 
  • A Street north of Iron Street: 228 bikes | 13.9 percent of vehicles 
  • Commonwealth Avenue west of Silber Way: 294 bikes | 13 percent of vehicles 
  • Beacon Street west of Dartmouth Street: 165 bikes | 11.8 percent of vehicles 
  • Western Avenue east of Hague Street: 178 bikes | 10.6 percent of vehicles

In June 2018, Bluebikes riders took on average 6,846 trips per day, and on weekdays, an average of 7,334 trips per day.

june 2018 bike counts

Fall 2018 snapshot

september counts

In September 2018, we counted people biking at 61 locations over two days.

View Summary Table

dates and Weather Conditions

Thursday, September 27

High 71°, Low 61°, Rain

Friday, September 28

High 62°, Low 58°, Heavy Rain

At seven of those locations, we counted more than 1,000 people biking each day on average:

  • Massachusetts Avenue Bridge north of Back Street: 3,151 people biking
  • BU Bridge north of Commonwealth Avenue: 1,871 people biking
  • Longwood Avenue east of Pilgrim Road: 1,497 people biking
  • Commonwealth Avenue west of Silber Way: 1,376 people biking
  • Columbus Avenue west of Holyoke Street: 1,140 people biking
  • North Harvard Street south of Soldiers Field Road: 

View Fall 2018 Data Highlights

From 8 - 10 a.m., people biking made up at least 10% of all vehicles traveling at these locations:

2018

  • Southwest Corridor Bicycle Path south of Heath Street: 304 bikes | 93.8 percent of vehicles 
  • Franklin Street north of Alcott Street: 107 bikes | 31.3 percent of vehicles 
  • Longwood Avenue east of Pilgrim Road*: 358 bikes | 22.7 percent of vehicles 
  • Columbus Avenue west of Massachusetts Avenue: 239 bikes | 14.6 percent of vehicles 
  • Washington Street south of Hayward Place: 110 bikes | 14.4 percent of vehicles 
  • Massachusetts Avenue Bridge north of Back Street: 572 bikes | 13.5 percent of vehicles 
  • Columbus Avenue west of Holyoke Street: 155 bikes | 10.4 percent of vehicles 
  • North Harvard Street south of Soldiers Field Road: 172 bikes | 9.93 percent of vehicles 
  • Columbus Avenue west of Arlington Street: 123 bikes | 9.59 percent of vehicles 
  • Commonwealth Avenue west of Silber Way: 203 bikes | 9.55 percent of vehicles

From 5 - 7 p.m., people biking made up at least 10% of all vehicles traveling at these locations:

Fall PM 2019 Peak Bike Counts

  • Southwest Corridor Bicycle Path south of Heath Street: 657 bikes | 93.9 percent of vehicles 
  • Franklin Street north of Alcott Street: 311 bikes | 55.0 percent of vehicles 
  • Longfellow Bridge west of Charles Street¹: 597 bikes | 45.4 percent of vehicles 
  • Massachusetts Avenue Bridge north of Back Street: 145 bikes | 28.1 percent of vehicles 
  • North Harvard Street south of Soldiers Field Road: 512 bikes | 23.4 percent of vehicles 
  • Longwood Avenue east of Pilgrim Road*: 329 bikes | 21.6 percent of vehicles 
  • Columbus Avenue west of Massachusetts Avenue: 261 bikes | 14.8 percent of vehicles 
  • Harvard Avenue north of Commonwealth Avenue: 281 bikes | 13.0 percent of vehicles 
  • Seaport Boulevard west of Sleeper Street: 406 bikes | 12.1 percent of vehicles 
  • Columbus Avenue west of Holyoke Street: 175 bikes | 10.9 percent of vehicles 
  • BU Bridge north of Commonwealth Avenue: 443 bikes | 10.0 percent of vehicles 
  • Commonwealth Avenue west of Silber Way: 247 bikes | 9.67 percent of vehicles 
  • Massachusetts Avenue south of Columbus Avenue: 333 bikes | 9.60 percent of vehicles

In June 2018, Bluebikes riders took on average 7,877 trips per day, and on weekdays an average of 7,384 trips per day.

Below is a graph of the number of Bluebikes trips taken in September 2018 throughout the system.  Trips increase on days with warm, pleasant weather and decrease on days with heavy rain or very hot weather.  On September 28, a day with heavy rain, cycling numbers overall were lower than the previous day.

September 2018 Bluebikes Trips

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