Harvard to sponsor bike share stations in Cambridge and Boston

By Brock Parker, Town Correspondent

Harvard University announced Thursday that it will sponsor four bike share stations in Cambridge when Boston’s newly named “Hubway” regional bicycle sharing program launches and expands across the river.

The announcement about Harvard’s commitment to Cambridge came as the university announced it will also sponsor five bike share stations in Boston’s Allston and Longwood neighborhoods.

“Harvard has a longstanding commitment to sustainability and to using our campus as a living laboratory to support innovative solutions,” said Christine Heenan, vice president for public affairs and communications in a press release Thursday. “We are thrilled to partner with the cities of Boston and Cambridge on this initiative, and to work to reduce the environmental footprint of the University.”

The locations of the bike share stations in Allston and the Longwood neighborhoods have not been determined, according to the university.

The bicycle sharing program will allow users to borrow bicycles for short trips and return them at any docking station in the regional network. The program will charge users for memberships or daily fees, and Cambridge, Brookline and Somerville are considering joining the regional program after it launches in Boston this summer.

Cambridge officials have said the city is hoping to join the regional bicycle sharing program this fall or early next year.