Today is the day local bicycling enthusiasts have waited for.
Boston – most of it – now has a bicycle sharing program with hundreds of bicycles available for the renting.
“The car is no longer king in Boston,” Mayor Thomas Menino said at today’s launch at City Hall Plaza.
City officials had touted that more than 600 bicycles at 61 locations would be available, but as of today 40 stations are operational with the rest to be installed shortly.
The program is available in certain locations only with other phases to spread the stations beyond Roxbury and possibly in to Cambridge and Somerville.
More than 700 people signed up for annual memberships since July 13, the city said.
One of the concerns of the program has been safety, but the city said officers have been stationed at key intersections to enforce the laws for both drivers and bicyclists.
Menino, a biking enthusiast himself, cautioned riders before they departed today.
“You’ve got to wear your helmet,” he said.
