Hubway Stations Soon Springing Back Into Service

Hubway bicycles will begin returning Thursday, after most of Greater Boston's bike sharing system was put in hibernation for the winter.

Benjy Kantor, marketing manager at Motivate — the company that operates Hubway — said customers will be able to use the system soon. However, he said he doesn't have an exact start date.

"It's largely dependent on whether the weather holds up and what the safety conditions for our field staff are at each of the locations and the sites," he said. "We can typically get five to seven stations out per day."

The program shut down in Brookline, Somerville and Boston for the winter. However, it remained open in Cambridge for a second year. Last year, the company launched a successful pilot program to see if Cambridge residents would keep riding through the winter.

Hubway came to Boston in 2011. In 2013, it expanded to Brookline, Somerville and Cambridge.

To combat obesity and other health issues, Boston announced last spring that doctors could refer low-income patients a discounted membership to Hubway. Boston residents who qualify could rent bikes for a discounted fee of $5 a year. A typical annual Hubway membership costs $85, and monthly memberships are $20.