SAN FRANCISCO — Caltrain, the San Francisco-area commuter rail service, will institute a bikes-board-first policy at all stations on Monday, March 11.
The procedure allows riders with bicycles to board first on designated bike cars after exiting passengers have disembarked. Other passengers are encouraged to board at non-bike cars to avoid having to wait. Caltrain ambassadors will be at various stations in coming weeks to help with implementation.
The new policy follows a pilot program that began in April 2018 at three stations, where boarding times were decreased, in some cases by up to a minute. It was expanded to three other stations in June of that year.
“We are grateful to Caltrain’s staff, riders and partners who helped make our pilot a success,” Caltrain Chief Operating Officer Michelle Bouchard said in a press release. “Implementation of Bikes Board First at all stations will reduce delays and improve boarding for everyone.”
Mr. Zweerts:
I did that with cars for a while. I had a car that I would use to go to the BART station, then I would ride Bart for a bit more than an hour, then I would get into the car I had stashed overnight at the BART station at the other end, and go on to work. But that’s the New World for you…
The above remarks are general in nature and do not form the basis for an attorney/client relationship. They do not constitute legal advice. I am not your attorney. Find your own damn lawyer.
Over in Holland riders often have bikes stashed at each station they use as bikes are not allowed on-board Dutch railway cars during rush hours. Of course infrastructure has been set up to avoid having your bike stolen while you are away. Once ridership gets larger having bikes on board will become problematic.
Lots of riders on Caltrain now Anna. In fact when I moved here 2 years ago I had planned to commute via bike and Caltrain to my job in Sunnyvale and had timed it out to an hour from desk to 4th and King with a Baby Bullet. Alas I was utterly unprepared for the unaffordability of living in SF anywhere halfway close to the train (even at Silicon Valley wages) so I wound up living close to work (where I still bike everyday) and live close enough to the Caltrain stop here to walk to the train (or shuttle from work) when I need to get out of the suburbs.
If they had had this policy when I was an undergrad (living in Palo Alto) I would have ridden it. In those days there was no place to leave a bicycle at the station without having it stolen, and I would have needed it at the other end in any case.
Instead, I flailed my way down the 101 twice a day, at probably greater expense but certainly greater convenience.
The above remarks are general in nature and do not form the basis for an attorney/client relationship. They do not constitute legal advice. I am not your attorney. Find your own damn lawyer.