Bluebikes Offer Free Rides On Election Day

SOMERVILLE, MA — If you're planning to head to the polls on Tuesday, you can get a free bike ride thanks to Bluebikes, discounted rides thanks to Uber and Lyft. It's part of an effort to get out the vote and remove barriers to voting this election season.

A 2016 Survey of the Performance of American Elections found that 30 percent of registered youth did not vote because they said they couldn't access transportation to the polls.

While this year is full of other options, from mail-in ballots to early voting, the bike company said it wanted to add one less excuse to reasons not to vote.

On Nov. 3, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts is sponsoring free Bluebikes rides across its network in Brookline, Watertown, Arlington, Boston, Cambridge, Everett, Newton and Somerville.

To take advantage of the free ride, download and open the Bluebikes app on a mobile device and then choose "Adventure Pass" for unlimited two-hour rides on Election Day from any of the more than 350 Bluebikes stations across the system.

Bluebikes isn't the only company trying to get in on Election Day discounts. Uber and Lyft both have in-app poll-finding feature, and when customers use the tool to book a ride to the polls on Election Day, they’ll get half off round-trip rides (up to $7 each way, or $14 for the two trips for Uber). Lyft says they’ve expanded their “Ride to Vote” program for 2020, offering 50 percent off, too.

Story by Jenna Fisher (Patch Staff)