Bicycles on Transit Vehicles

Bikes on Brooklyn trolley, 1890's. Bicycle Federation. See larger image.

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Bicycle access to the transit vehicles themselves, though subject to space limitations, gives commuters and other travelers a way to get to transit from their homes and then to the workplace or other destination, using the transit line for the long haul. Such programs also enable transit operators to expand off-peak markets. Bike access to transit vehicles also allows cyclists to bypass obstacles such as bridges and tunnels reserved for motor vehicles.

In many European countries, bicycles are permitted on trains as a matter of course; in France, passengers pay a nominal fee to drop off the bicycle at the station, where it is put on a special freight car for retrieval at the end of the journey. Berlin's commuter rail lines allow up to 48 bikes per 8-car train. [25] In North America, bicycles are permitted on railways, subways, or trolleys in the San Francisco area (BART), San Diego, San Jose, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Miami, Washington DC, Boston, Philadelphia, Montreal and Toronto. [26] In California, a new bi-level “California Car,” mandated and funded by Proposition 116 and providing bicycle storage on the lower level, will be used on state-sponsored Amtrak and local commuter rail lines. [27]

NY-AREA COMMUTER TRAINS

Handicapped seating doubles as bike storage on NJ Transit.

Several major metro-area mass transit operators already support some bicycle access. They have satisfactorily resolved their own questions about train-boarding and debarkation with bicycles, as well as liability issues. The Long Island Rail Road (LIRR), Metro-North Com-muter Railroad, and Port Authority Trans-Hud-son Railroad (PATH) all allow bicycles on off-peak trains, provided the cyclist has a special permit. (LIRR and Metro-North charge a one-time $5 fee; PATH permits are free.)

Nevertheless, even off-peak access to these trains is sometimes restricted. All three railroads limit bicycles to a maximum of four at any one time on a train, although in 1992 Metro-North greatly expanded bicycle access to selected weekend trains. PATH has Saturday restrictions that inhibit New Jersey bicyclists who want to enter Manhattan; LIRR prohibits bikes on many summer trains. In addition, Metro-North and LIRR both reserve the right to refuse cyclists if the train is crowded or if for any reason the train crew decides that bikes would jeopardize passenger safety. (Metro-North personnel frequently waive restrictions, however, an indication of the railroad's strong commitment to encouraging bicycle access.)

Requiring that cyclists carry permits also makes it difficult if not impossible for tourists, casual cyclists, or riders caught in an emergency to use the train. In Europe, signs in transit vehicles and near stations, rather than permits, suffice to communicate rules of operation to bicyclists. [28]

New Jersey Transit (NJT) traditionally refused bicycles, citing tight entryways and aisles on its train cars. In 1990, however, NJT experimented with bicycle access via reservation on its lightly-traveled Atlantic City line, and in 1992 the railroad responded to a Transportation Alternatives initiative by starting a pilot “Bike Aboard” program on its North Jersey Coast Line, permitting two bikes on off-peak trains (and folding bikes on all trains). A bill mandating all-hours rail access to NJT for folding bikes passed the legislature and was signed by Gov. Florio in December 1992, but another bill calling for off-peak access for full-sized bikes is bottled up in the State Assembly Transportation Committee.

HOW TRAINS CAN HANDLE “BULKY OBJECTS”

As access for the disabled becomes a requirement in mass-transit facilities, transportation planners should take steps to increase transit's utility for all users by accommodating travelers with bulky objects. Design changes for wheelchair access should also work for cyclists, as well as for parents with strollers, travelers taking heavy luggage to terminals, shoppers with large parcels, etc.

A good example is the cars on PATH that have removed a bench seat opposite the conductor's cab at the ends of each car (a loss of only four seats per car). A wall sticker identifies the area as reserved for wheelchairs or bicycles. The open space by the wall lets passengers with bulky objects use the train easily and safely.

Some transit operators balk at removing seats that could hold passengers during rush hour. But based on recommendations of subway riders, the Transit Authority has designed its new cars with fewer seats and more standing and circulating room. During non-rush hours, more kinds of travelers can use the transit line, thus increasing ridership and reducing auto trips. At any rate, every retrofit of a rail car or bus for wheelchair users requires seat removal, and transit operators don't object because wheelchair access is a condition attached to federal mass-transit grants.

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