From the start at Storrow Drive to the finish line at City Hall Plaza, more than 5,000 cyclists participated in the seventh annual Hub on Wheels in Boston on Sunday.
Sponsored by Boston Bikes and TD Bank, Hub on Wheels is dedicated to creating city awareness about the benefits of cycling for a healthy lifestyle and safe bike options for Bostonians and has 61 bike stations set up throughout the city.
As Boston Mayor Thomas Menino welcomed the bikers competing in the marathon, he proclaimed his avid support of cycling. Counting down the minutes until the starting gate opened, Menino thanked the cyclists for keeping the city clean and promoting healthy living.
Four years ago, Menino created the Boston Bikes campaign. In a service letter to the participating bikers, Menino said that the main goal of the program is to make Boston a “world-class cycling city.” The program focuses on “engineering, enforcement, education, encouragement and evaluation” in the biker community, according to Boston Bikes’ website.
The program also allows bikers to alert officials about a need for new or updated bike trails throughout the city. Following Boston Bikes guidelines, input from 200 cyclists formed the bike route for Hub on Wheels.
Throughout the bike routes, there were five rest stops, each supplied with snacks and refreshments, as well as five medical tents. After the bikers completed their chosen bike routes, cyclists gathered at the Boloco Block Party to watch stunt performances, live music and a closing awards ceremony. The block party also featured booths to help further educate bikers, such as Urban Adventours, an organization that guides bicycle tours throughout Boston.
Another booth was set up by Technology Goes Home, a program that helps supply lower income families with Internet and new technologies. A portion of the proceeds from Hub on Wheels will be donated to Technology Goes Home.
Hub on Wheels promotes the rights and responsibilities bikers are given, according to their website. Under Mass. law, bikes are considered authorized vehicles. With the continued support of Bostonian cyclists and companies such as TD Bank, which support healthy modes of transportation, Boston is a ride closer to becoming a cyclist capital, the website states.
About 100 Hub on Wheels volunteers ensured that the cyclists could register properly and find the right routes, while policemen and the clean-up crew helped the marathon run smoothly.