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SFC\Bicycle activists win 1, lose 1 in space battle
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Jym Dyer
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Feb 06, 2009 10:14 PST
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http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/02/05/BA5C15OF4N.DTL
Bicycle activists win 1, lose 1 in space battle
Rachel Gordon,Michael Cabanatuan,
Chronicle Staff Writers
Friday, 06-Feb-2009 | San Francisco Chronicle | Page B-2
Bay Area bicycle advocates stepped up their campaign Thursday to
make it easier to commute on two wheels, winning one battle to
get more space for bikes on Caltrain but losing their latest
skirmish with the state to allow cycling across the Richmond-San
Rafael Bridge.
Caltrain directors approved a plan Thursday to increase onboard
bicycle capacity on its trains. Meanwhile, at a meeting of the
San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission,
Caltrans officials rejected a test program to allow bikes and
pedestrians on the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge.
The vote by the Caltrain board came after heavy lobbying by
commuters who are fed up with the increasing risk of getting
bumped off of trains when all the bike racks on the rail cars
are full.
"It's very hard to plan your day when you don't know whether
you'll get on the train. If I liked to gamble, I'd go to Vegas,"
said Paul Schreiber, a software developer who commutes between
the 22nd Street Station in San Francisco and both the Sunnyvale
and Mountain View stations on the Peninsula. He said he gets
bumped every week or two.
Caltrain reports space problems on about 1 out of 10 runs,
according to Chuck Harvey, Caltrain's chief operating
officer. The trains now can handle 16, 32 or 64
bicycles. Cyclists aren't sure until the trains pull into the
stations how many bikes will be allowed on board.
Under the new policy, the Bombardier cars, which now have rack
space for 16 bikes, will be re-outfitted to carry 24. The older
gallery cars, which now hold 32 bikes, will be reconfigured for
40.
With the change, the total available bike slots in the peak
commute period will increase from the current average of 2,300
to 2,900, said Caltrain spokeswoman Christine Dunn.
A total of 272 seats will be removed. The retrofit would cost
about $200,000 and take eight to 12 weeks to complete. Harvey
said he hopes work can start in April.
The board also set a goal of having two bike cars per train
during the morning and evening commutes.
For bicyclists who have been battling for three decades for the
right to pedal across the 4-mile Richmond-San Rafael Bridge,
Caltrans' refusal was just the latest defeat. Last February, a
consultant recommended a movable barrier that would allow the
shoulder of the bridge to carry cars during commute hours then
convert to a bike lane. But Caltrans officials refused, saying
it would create unsafe conditions for drivers.
The Bay Area Toll Authority, which oversees operation of the
state toll bridges, tried to broker a compromise. With traffic
across the bridge down, there's no longer a need for a third
lane of traffic, so they suggested installing temporary concrete
barriers on the upper deck of the bridge for a couple of years
to test its safety and popularity.
"We would be increasing the chance of accidents and decreasing
the level of safety for thousands of travelers on this bridge,"
said Richard Land Caltrans' chief engineer.
Bike and trail advocates said a lane across the span would be a
vital link in the Bay Trail and the regional bicycle lane
network. Caltrans, they argued, is favoring cars while ignoring
the growing interest in bicycling.
Since Caltrans gave up plans to add a third lane of traffic to
the bridge, it no longer needs a permit from the commission. So
the commission cannot compel Caltrans to give bicyclists
access. Robert Raburn, director of the East Bay Bicycle
Coalition, said after the meeting that he was frustrated by
Caltrans' intransigence, but would keep fighting.
"We've met our match," he said, "but we'll be back. We're not
going to drop this. We're going to keep pushing."
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