[caption id="attachment_268" align="alignright" width="215" caption="Celebrating the unveiling of the T's first bike cage in Boston, Transportation Secretary James Aloisi cuts a ribbon with (from left to right) Livable Streets Alliance Director Steve Miller, BRA Director of Bicycle Program Nicole Freedman, MassBike Executive Director David Watson, Secretary Aloisi, and Acting MBTA General Manager William Mitchell."][/caption]

MassBike Executive Director David Watson spoke at this morning's press conference officially opening the new bike cage at the Forest Hills MBTA Station. MassBike has been working closely with the T and other advocates expanding access to public transportation for bicyclists, and this is the latest in a string of improvements. The new secure bike parking facility holds 100 bikes. Forest Hills is the first station in Boston to get one, following last year's launch of the bike cages at Alewife Station in Cambridge. The T also announced that it has received $4.8 million in federal stimulus funds to expand bike parking throughout the MBTA system, including more bike cages at locations to be announced. "The T is moving from merely accommodating bikes to embracing bicycling as an integral part of the transportation system," said Watson. "Adding secure bike parking will encourage people who live a little further than comfortable walking distance to the station to ride their bikes instead of driving. This morning, I rode my bike two miles to Alewife Station, then took the T to get here - I want everyone to be able to do that."

Read more about this here and here.