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DAILY-JOURNAL\Caltrain unveils bike plan
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Jym Dyer
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Aug 13, 2008 13:48 PDT
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http://www.smdailyjournal.com/article_preview.php?id=96396
Caltrain unveils bike plan
by Dana Yates
San Mateo Daily Journal
More bike racks and bike fees could be in store for some San
Mateo County train stations following a bicycle plan released
Monday that indicates 8 percent of customers ride their bikes
to and from the train.
The draft Caltrain Bicycle Parking and Access Plan, originally
called the Bike Master Plan, focuses on ways to improve bicycle
access at Caltrain's 10 most popular stations, including Millbrae,
San Mateo, Hillsdale and Redwood City. The plan outlines ways
Caltrain can improve bike access at the stations and manage the
number of bike riders that flood trains at peak hours.
During peak commute hours, bicyclists are often "bumped" from
the trains, meaning there is no room for their bike and
therefore they must wait for the next train or quickly lock
their bike up at the station. Caltrain has removed 1,000 seats
from trains and designated the northern car of each train for
bicyclists and their bikes. On the older style cars, there
are 32 spaces for bikes. On the newer style cars, there are
16 spaces, according to Caltrain.
The study considers the option of charging an additional bike fee.
There are currently no commuter rail operators in the United
States that charge an extra fee for bicycles brought on board.
However, the Netherlands, Berlin and Vancouver, British Columbia
charge fees ranging from $1 to $8.90, according to the report.
Implementing such a fee would present a logistical challenge
under current operations, according to the report.
Caltrain is a proof-of-payment system on which passengers must
pay fares before boarding. Without real-time information
regarding onboard bike space availability, passengers with bikes
could not be expected to pay a fee for a bicycle space they
might not be able to use.
The idea of paying more to bring a bike on board did not receive
high marks in a 2007 online bicycle survey conducted by Caltrain.
Of the 926 respondents, 233 -- or 25 percent -- said they would
bring their bikes on board as much as they currently do;
17 percent would stop bringing bikes on board; 16 percent
would bring bikes on board less frequently; 12 percent would
stop riding Caltrain; 10 percent said it would depend on the
fee; 6 percent would use a folding bike and 3 percent said
they would use Caltrain less frequently.
The study suggests Caltrain should consider subsidies to help
customers buy folding bikes that can retail for $500 to $1,000.
Folding bikes can be stored on luggage racks in any car.
The plan also suggests increasing the total number of bike racks
and lockers at the San Mateo County stations. San Mateo bike
racks and lockers could increase from 30 to 49; Hillsdale would
increase from 34 to 39; Redwood City would increase from 72 to
106.
The draft plan has been in development for a year. To view the
plan, visit:
http://www.caltrain.com/bicycle_master_plan.html
Comments on the draft plan will be accepted until 5 p.m.,
Tuesday, Sept. 9. To comment, send an e-mail to
bike-@caltrain.com or write to Caltrain Bicycle Access and
Parking Plan, Attn: Planning and Development, P.O. Box 3006,
San Carlos, CA 94070.
The final plan will be presented to the Caltrain board for
approval Oct. 4.
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