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In Portland, there's a designated vertical hanging space for bicycles easily found by a sticker on the train door's window (more bicycle ideas from Portland here). | Photo by Zach Behrens/LAist
With the higher gas prices came the increased usage of bicycles this summer. Whether it was driver vs cyclist or police against cyclist, the battle for street space continues. Most recently, the Daily News reports on bicycles fighting for space on the Orange Line racks and on rail like the Red Line. Sue Doyle's excellent report presents many problems, some with solutions (some of which that are ours), some not:
- Problem: The Orange Line bike racks (only three per bus) are full, forcing one commuter who has been doing this for a while to now walk or wait a few buses before one comes along with an empty rack. Solutions: For us as regular bicycle Orange Line bicycle users, we feel the pain. If it's late at night and you ask the bus driver nicely, they might let you on the back of the bus with the bike.
- Problem: Metro's Marc Littman says that their "hope is that people will ride bikes to transit and then take transit. But a number of people want to take their bikes, too." But wait: This statement is not too helpful. Biking commuting might be needed on both sides of the commute. Sometimes you need to bike a couple miles to your first transit stop and then another couple miles to your destination after getting off transit.
- Problem: Bicycle Parking. Solution: "The Los Angeles County transit system will install 100 bike lockers at three Red Line and five Orange Line stations, including 32 to replace 12 old ones in North Hollywood." But wait: Lockers, which you have to apply and pay a security deposit on (and be put on a waiting list if none are available) are great for regular users, but the old fashion bicycle racks are helpful for the spontaneous or infrequent user, especially at the Red Line station where LA Times' Steve Hymon has challenged Tom LaBonge to get more racks.
- Problem: Bicycles plus packed subway cars are hard for everyone. Solutions: One rider in the story mentions using the last car since it's not as full. Some believe the last car should have seats ripped out to allow more room for bikes. In Portland, each train door near the space reserved for wheelchairs and bicycles has a sticker so people can easily find the correct door to access their storage areas. Metro does not have any of these so if you enter the wrong door, you must navigate to the open space where it is reserved for wheelchairs (which cyclists take up if no wheelchair is there.
- Problem: Lots of people in confined spaces can make people crazy and rude. Solution: "The spike in riders has also prompted Metro to launch a new campaign in September, informing people how to use mass transit and to be courteous of others on board." Additionally, Metro "plans to meet with bicycle groups in the fall to hear their concerns."
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Portland is bicycle heaven, except for the 9 months of rain, and incidents like this.
Los Angeles has the perfect climate, and is relatively flat, so, there's no reason it can't be a great bike city. Well, except for the people.
Bah, I say, BAH!
Problem: People stealing bikes in crowded areas when it's so busy you have to move to the back of the bus and can't watch your bike.
Solutions: Chase the guy down on foot and get your bike back. Or lock your back wheel to your frame.
One solution would be to put bicycle racks on both the front and back of the buses there by doubling the capacity for bicycles. On the Orange line especially you would not have the problem of a car running into the rear rack since the Orange Line is a dedicated bus only busway.
I used to use the orangeline at 845 (balboa Station) to get to North Hollywood. It used to be easy. Always room.
But, lately, I've seen as much as 6 bikes waiting for the orangeline, at that hour it's 17mins between busses. By Balboa There might be one spot left, maybe.
Now if I see anyone waiting, I just ride to NoHo station and get there in under 30mins. I can always fit a bike on the Subway.
There has to be a solution, not everyone loves to Race the bus as much as I do.
1) Folding bikes. As soon as my lines get so busy I have to wait more than 20 mins, out goes my road bike and in comes the foldie (way cooler than a fixie)
2) Be wise about where you get the bus. EG. Waiting at the top of Sunset & Hilgarde hoping for a bus after the 761 has just travelled around UCLA campus is frankly asking for trouble. Cycle an extra mile, get it at Westwood/Wilshire, before it goes around UCLA
3) Race the bus until someone gets off - Im with Thor ------>
As far as the Orange Line, I don't see why they can't allow bikes onboard buses if the bike rack is full but the number of passengers inside the bus is low. Unlike the other buses, because there is no farebox, the Orange Line allows boarding through all doors, allowing a cyclist to enter through the back door.
The Militant may or may not have been to Portland, but he understands the onboard bike racks on the light rail trains there require you to hang your bikes on a hook. This is probably not be a good idea for the Red Line, which travels at a higher speed - if one does not hook their bike up in time, the acceleration jolt might cause the cyclist and their bike to tumble, taking down a bunch of fellow passengers in the process (injury, litigation, lawsuit...)
However, some sort of fastener while the bikes stay at floor level might be a great addition to the subway cars, similar to the way wheelchairs are fastened to the interiors of buses.
Bike racks on the rear of buses = Free bike giveaway
"Bike racks on the rear of buses = Free bike giveaway"
There are ways to avoid that. Perhaps the on-board rear bus camera could transmit to those on-board TV screens they have now. That way the passenger could keep an eye on his own bicycle. Inside racks would be best, but they's need to be well designed and well thought out.
"Bike racks on the rear of buses = Free bike giveaway"
Not to mention the driver forgetting that you're getting your bike off the rack and driving away.
I always tell the driver I'm getting my bike off even with a front rack.
I'd just like to mention that on the Red Line, at least, the back car is the most crowded, especially during off peak hours due to the amount of people that rush from where there are no cars to the last one. Baad idea. The first cars are usually the emptiest.
If the Metro wants people to ride to transit, lock up and leave the bike, it's going to take a lot of expanded coverage and frequency of service. Rarely do I travel with public transit and end up close enough to my destination for timely walking, and waiting for transfer delays can kill commute times. Bikes allow commuters to fill in the gaps in the system as long as they are able to bring it with them. Unless it's late at night or early morning with extremely light traffic, I always just bike the whole way, it's faster then the bus anyways. Though I realize not everyone finds riding from the Beach to Hollywood so easy.
How about rollerblades?
Extend the existing racks.
Another solution is for workers to work remotely at a location near where they live, so they could bike directly to work and avoid mass transit all together.
Remote Office Centers lease individual offices, internet and phone systems to workers from different companies in shared centers located around the city and suburbs.
Bike commuting makes more sense when people work less than a few miles from work. Remote Offices make this possible.
Remote Office Centers are fairly new, but can be found in most large cities by doing a web search on "Remote Office Centers" in quotes.
Very interesting, aullman. Thanks.
I like the idea of the Bike rack in the back of the bus but then i worry about someone just stealing it with out you even being able to see it happen.
i think there should be room for 4 bikes on the front rack.
And as far as the subway system goes I agree with tearing out the seats in the last rail car.
It just makes perfect sense.
Now lets get a subway to the BEACH
YES. To the beach. Somewhere north of Long Beach and south of Point Dume.
It would be great to have a rental bike system here with bikes available at metro stops and a decent number of bus stops.
That way I could bike to the metro stop and drop off my bike. Then take the subway to NoHo and pick up another rental bike at the other end to finish my commute.
It also would be nice to have some safe bike lanes.
And a subway to the sea.
And pigs that fly.
Johnny "How about rollerblades?"
That's a good point and actually all through college I mixed use of rollerblades, public transit and bike to get around. My commute to work now is short enough I skate all the way sometimes, but bike most of the time. It's extremely rare that I see a true in-line skating commuter, but I do see it. It's an effective and cheaper way to mix human power with transit then getting a folding bike.
Concerning triple or quad front bike racks, they were tried and deemed unsafe due to riders with a middle bike that needs to be removed stepping into traffic to get the bike out or having difficulty with getting it out. About bikes in the back of the bus, as mentioned they will be stolen quite easily. These were the responses given my girlfriend who called up Metro about it after she tried to catch a bus with a bike and waited for two buses both with racks full before giving up and riding the whole trip.
"I don't see why they can't allow bikes onboard buses if the bike rack is full but the number of passengers inside the bus is low."
Part of the reason is that the number of passengers will vary depending on where they are on the ride.
When the bus is starting it's run, it might be pretty empty. After three or four stops, it might be full.
So if you get on at the first stop when the number of passengers is low, what happens two stops later when the bus is now jammed?
orange line at one time had the bike racks on the inside of the bus (before metro installed them on the outside)
I belive 3 bikes fitted nicely expect you would have to lift the bike verticatlly (Like I think Amtrak and Caltrain does)
I agree that the first (or last, whatever) car of each Metro Rail train should be cleared of all its seats, with priority to cyclists. The car can even be labeled with a bike sticker. All riders would be able to use that car, but the lack of seats and the abundance of bikes would probably encourage non-cyclists to use the other cars.