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Boston-based mobility start-up CargoB, which launched in May 2024, will begin placing a portion of their fleet at Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) stations beginning in October 2025.
The move comes as CargoB has secured a new license with the MBTA, enabling the placement of shared cargo bikes along the Orange, Red, Green, and Blue Lines, as well as other MBTA right-of-ways such as the Somerville Community Path.
This agreement expands the range of mobility options available at T stations—alongside traditional bike share—while transforming stations into neighbourhood hubs that make it easier for riders to replace car trips with CargoB trips.
With built-in access to dense neighbourhoods, key amenities, and safe multimodal infrastructure, CargoB is helping residents and visitors in Boston, Cambridge, and Somerville move more sustainably. This contract with the MBTA adds an important tool to the toolbox for “first-and-last-mile” connections to and from transit.
E-bike subsidy programs –like those offered by the City of Boston and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts– have laid the groundwork in supporting residents in reducing short-distance car trips. And CargoB is building on this momentum by shifting the focus from ownership to sharing—offering access to electric cargo bikes without the cost, storage challenges, or upkeep. As a true car replacement vehicle, CargoB helps households live car-lite or car-free, while freeing up curb space, reducing congestion, and cutting emissions.
What? Where? Went?
The first five MBTA locations scheduled to be available before the end of October 2025 will include:
• Back Bay, Ruggles, and Stonybrook Stations on the Orange Line & Commuter Rail
• Porter Square Station on the Red Line & Commuter Rail
• Lechmere Station on the Green Line
Status of the openings will be available on the landing page of ridecargob.com and announced via CargoB’s Instagram, Bluesky, LinkedIn, and email list. CargoB anticipates expanding the contract with an additional 5-10 MBTA locations in Spring 2026. CargoB rentals are round-trip at $0.25/min, and because the system is station-based—and not free-floating—communities never face the obstacle of bikes left in inconvenient or obstructive locations.
CargoB users guide
Accessing a CargoB is simple: download the CargoB app, locate a bike, and unlock it by scanning the on-bike QR code. At the end of a trip, simply return the bike to its designated station, lock it up, and end the ride in app— and it’s ready for the next neighbour to share! Riders pay no membership fee, but an optional $100 Annual Pass offers 60% off all rides.
Existing CargoB services
Not including the new MBTA expansion, CargoB currently operates 9 stations across Jamaica Plain, Cambridge, Somerville, Allston, the Seaport, Roslindale, East Arlington, and Brighton, with several more in the works.
CargoB is a mission-driven, certified Women Business Enterprise (WBE) committed to expanding urban mobility options. Pre-seed and actively in the fund-raising stage, founders Fennell and DeClerck believe increasing access to active transportation enhances quality of life, promotes environmental sustainability, and drives investment in local business districts.
An American market first
As the first cargo bike share outside of the European mobility market, CargoB gives traffic-weary residents a bike-sized mobility solution—with the carrying capacity of a compact car’s trunk—at a price comparable to an electric Bluebike.
Reflecting on the first 16 months of operations, Dorothy Fennell says: “Our first priority was to build something and put it out in the world to prove that a U.S. city like Boston has an appetite for this.”
Zack DeClerck adds, “And what we found was an incredibly enthusiastic base of early adopters who couldn’t be more excited about CargoB. Beyond that, we’ve heard from city planners, working parents, and car-lite urban dwellers across North America who want to see this in their city, too.”
“When we think about the reasons people share why they love Boston, those heartstrings aren’t pulled by memories of navigating Mass Ave. traffic,” says Fennell. “Instead, it’s the vibrant neighbourhoods, green spaces, and cultural experiences created by the people who live and spend time here. The high-density fabric of our city, one that predates the rise of automobiles, and which tourists flock to enjoy in ‘America’s Walking City’, does not thrive when primarily planned around car-based mobility.”
The team at CargoB is excited to have the MBTA on board as a host to expand our network of stations and serve more residents and visitors, in addition to exploring ways to support municipalities and other institutions with their mobility needs.
