Cambridge

Broadway Bicycle School'''

You can get your bike fixed, fix it yourself, or be taught how to repair it.

By bike

Cambridge is perhaps the most bicycle-friendly city in the Greater Boston area and probably has the most people who use bikes to commute and just to get around. While there are few bike routes, most major streets have bike lanes, and many minor streets do too. Car drivers tend to be aware of bike riders and generally respect bike riders' right of way. All of these features make Cambridge the safest place to ride a bike in Greater Boston.

Lock your bike when you park it! Bike thieves are skilled and quick. Be sure to lock your front wheel in addition to your frame, and your back wheel too if it is a quick-release.

 

A taxi trip of a mile or less costs $5, excluding tip. Most of the major tourist areas will be a $10 to $25 fare. A trip to Logan Airport can cost up to $55, including tip, tolls and any waiting time. Flat rates are set for trips to Logan Airport from each hotel in Cambridge, which include all but luggage handling and gratuity.

Taxis are abundant in Harvard Square and Central Square, with many being queued up waiting for fares. The places that they will queue are designated as cab stands by street signs. Taxis are less abundant in Porter Square and rare near Alewife and Lechmere.

It is possible to signal a taxi from the sidewalk by waving an arm or a hand — a taxi cruising for fares is watching the crowds for this — and have it stop for you; however, taxi drivers from towns and cities other than Cambridge are heavily penalised if they accept passengers flagging them down on the street. This rule is not always rigorously followed, but taxi drivers from Boston, Brookline, Somerville and other towns will be wary of street pick-ups.

Taxis are regulated by the Cambridge Licence Commission, which sets fares and handles complaints. (http://www.cambridgema.go...)

The two primary taxi companies in Cambridge are:

Brattle Taxi

Checker Cab

By public transport

Public transportation is provided by the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority "MBTA" (http://www.mbta.com), which serves the entire Boston Metro area including Cambridge. The local subway system is called the "T" and can take you to most points of interest. The T's Red Line (http://www.mbta.com/trave...) has Cambridge stations in Kendall Square, Central Square, Harvard Square, and Porter Square. The Green Line has one station in Cambridge: Lechmere.

Directions are often marked "inbound" and "outbound", with reference to downtown Boston, where all four lines converge at four stops: State Blue and Orange, Park Street Red and Green, Government Center Blue and Green, and Downtown Crossing Orange and Red.

The MBTA does not operate 24-hour service. Service begins for the day after 5.30AM and ends before 12:15AM on week-days. Week-end schedules are slightly different and do not open until 6.30AM on Sundays. Transport still runs for a short time after this — stated times are "first train leaves the station" or "last train leaves the station" — and thus, to complete the route, will actually be in service for as much as an hour longer or an hour before, but it is imperative to find out when last service is scheduled to the stations you need, and allot time for early or late arrivals.

MBTA employees can offer information on scheduling, but are not always available at all stations. Communication between stations is complex and while significant changes will be announced, often T employees themselves are not informed of delays or minor changes. Bus stations that are not also subway stations are unstaffed.

As of July 2009, subway fare is $2 and includes transfers between all four subway lines Red, Green, Orange and Blue and bus fare varies between $1.50 and $5 and also includes transfers. Fares are paid via a stored value ticket available in vending machines at subway stations. Fare is discounted if using the freely available reusable plastic pass, which can be obtained at Harvard Square station, 7-11 convenience stores or Star supermarkets.

Information on fares, routes, delays and schedule changes is available at the MBTA's web site. (http://www.mbta.com/)

Parking at the Alewife station on the Red line is ample and costs $8 per 24 hour period. (http://www.mbta.com/sched...)

MBTA Commuter Rail color-coded purple leaves from Porter Square, serving one of the twelve commuter rail lines. This should not be confused with

Amtrak, (http://www.amtrak.com) the US national rail service, which departs from South Station, Back Bay Station, and North Station, all of which are in Boston.