How to go with someone the first time they bike or take the T

• You want to start biking or taking the T (the subway or a bus), and you'd rather not go alone the first time.
• Or you already bike or take the T, and you'd go with a neighbor the first time they try it. You don't need to be an expert.
• You need to be 18 or older.

• You sign up in the Shift app or at gogreenstreets.org/together. You say where you go, and whether you want to bike or take the T.
• Shift looks for someone who lives within 2 miles of you and already bikes or takes the T to the same part of town. For example, you both go from Davis Square to Kendall.
• Before you both say yes, you each see only a first name, how close your routes are and the times you usually go. Never an address.
• When you both say yes, Shift gives you each other's email address and suggests a public place to meet.

• Email each other to pick a day, a time and a public place to meet, like a T station entrance or a coffee shop. Pick a backup day too.
• Plan the route at gogreenstreets.org/plan or in the Shift app, and send it to each other. By bike, pick the calmest route, not the fastest.
• Tell a friend where you're going and when you'll be back.
• Bring a charged phone and a way to pay for the T: a CharlieCard, or a phone or card you can tap. By bike, bring a helmet.

• Squeeze the tires, squeeze the brakes, and spin the pedals to check the chain. Do it on both bikes.
• Wear a helmet that fits snugly.
• From a half hour after sunset to a half hour before sunrise, Massachusetts law requires a white light on the front of the bike, a red light and a red reflector on the back, and reflectors on the pedals or your ankles (state law).

• Go at their pace. Point out hard crossings before you reach them.
• On the T or a bus, show how to pay with a CharlieCard or a phone, where to wait, and how to see when the next one comes in the Shift app.
• Don't lend a bike, carry anyone on your bike, or give a ride in your car.

• Ask anything. That's why you're going together.
• Either of you can stop and head home at any time.
• Want more practice on a bike first? Boston Bikes runs free learn-to-bike classes for adults, with bikes and helmets provided.

• Stop at every stop sign and red light, even when it looks clear.
• Before you turn or change lanes, look over your shoulder, then point where you're going.
• To turn left, either move into the left lane when it's clear and turn, or ride straight across, wait at the far corner, and go on the next green.

• Ride at least 4 feet from parked cars, even in a bike lane. A door can open without warning.
• At corners, stay behind trucks and buses, not beside them.
• On busy streets, ride one behind the other, with the person who already bikes in front.

• Open Your matches in the Shift app or at gogreenstreets.org/together/matches, and tap "Something wrong?" to end the match or tell us what happened.
• If you're in danger, call 911.

Shift will ask whether you went together and how it went. Only the Green Streets team sees your answer. Then make the same trip on your own within a week, while you still remember the route.