More on bike parking at Metro Rail stations

I had the chance to speak last Thursday with Lynne Goldsmith, the bike planning manager for Metro. I wanted to talk to her about the fact that bike parking is woefully short at some rail stations and ask what can be done about it.

I've written several times that perhaps more can be done to accommodate more bikes on trains. Maybe a car dedicated just to bikes would work? Or more bike racks? The photo at right shows a fence subbing as a bike rack at the Memorial Park station on the Gold Line. Financially adept readers may note that the Gold Line cost $859 million, an amount that apparently didn't include bike racks for all the stations.

As for the idea of squeezing more bikes onto trains, Goldsmith said that Metro has looked into the idea of installing bike hooks inside its rail cars but has concluded it wouldn't work. Some other light rail systems have tried it and Metro doesn't see proof it's a good fit.

Among the problems: Bikes can be heavy and hard to lift, it's hard to hold the bike steady on a moving train and riders were getting bonked in the head with the bikes.

As for adding extra rail cars to trains to accommodate more bikes, Goldsmith said that the rail operations side of Metro has told her that some lines are either maxed out on cars or there simply are not enough cars available. I'm a little skeptical on this one: I ride the Gold Line to Pasadena and have never seen the Gold Line storage facility -- next to the L.A. River -- depleted of all cars.

Nonetheless, Goldsmith said that it has been Metro's policy since 2006 to heavily promote the use of bikes to get to and from stations. And she said that all Metro buses have been outfitted with bike racks (Bottleneckers -- do you agree?).

"We're trying to encourage bikes and mass transit, but what wasn't happening in 2006 was the energy situation that is occurring now," Goldsmith said. "Our bicycle racks and lockers are full -- we've gone from 50% occupancy on bike lockers to 77% and all of our trains and buses are full. So, everybody is trying to deal with this issue that occurred all of a sudden."

She pointed to several things that Metro is working on:

1. Creating bike parking stations at several regional locations. There's already one in downtown Long Beach and the agency would like to have similar stations -- where an attendant watches over the bikes -- in Pasadena, Santa Monica and Burbank.

2. Trying to expand the use of bike lockers and bike racks. Goldsmith said that some people won't use bike racks out of the well-founded fear their bikes will be stolen and she said her office is trying to launch an effort to teach people how to better lock their bikes. A bike rack costs $100, compared to $2,000 for a bike locker, Goldsmith said.

3. Promoting the use of folding bikes -- something I posted about recently. Goldsmith said that she believes they are the most realistic option in terms of taking more bikes on trains. "Folding bikes are the way to go if a person wants total flexibility through every hour of the day," she said, adding that Metro is trying to find a group it can partner with to promote the bikes.

One other interesting tidbit: Goldsmith said the Metro budget for bikes has not been reliable until this year, when $100,000 has been set aside for bike improvements. It looks like that amount will hold steady over the next four years. The Metro budget for fiscal year 2008-09 was $3.4 billion.

--Steve Hymon

Photo: Steve Hymon / Los Angeles Times

Comments

[BBO2]

MTA has done noting but lip service planning for bikes at most Metro Stations. This increase in transit usage was well documented. Transit use in Southern California was already up by 40% between 2000 and 2006 in date reported to the Federal Transit Administration. The MTA fails to have a hands on management commitement to things like day to day operations, service quality control, project management, cost containment, and other such pesky details. MTA does have a major and expanding commitment of resources to hype and hyperbole, supported by a massive increase in their public relations and marketing budgets in the last few years. Expensive advertising campaigns at MTA have not resulted in a single bike rack added or an improvement in on-time bus performance, but there is now no shortage of spokespersons with lame excuses.

[Jim Martin]

Bone up on your googlefu. Boston just unveiled a car dedicated to bikes. In my opinion, they wasted a lot of space and should have gone with vertical racks.
http://news.bostonherald.com/news/regional/general/view.bg?articleid=1094415&srvc=home&position=also

And a picture
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/05/18/swarming_to_public_transit_cheaper_gas/

Metro should rip out a few seats on each train and put in some vertical racks, like the Amtrak Pacific Surfliners. Shouldn't cost more than a thousand or so per train.

[bike commuter]

I bike to work in Los Angeles and biked regularly when I lived in New York City. NYC allows bikes--and just about anything else--on its subway lines. People, including me, commonly popped their bikes up so that the front wheel was toward the ceiling, giving the bicycle a narrower upright profile, which saved a lot of space. The train would be packed with people, baby strollers, bikes, etc. and we all managed to make it work. MTA should immediately lift the ban on bikes during rush hours, which is a ridiculous rule. If the trains get really crowded with bikes and commuters, then the MTA needs to add more trains. Bike-only sections are an ineffective use of space because when there are no bikes it can't be used to sit and when there are lots of bikes then there won't be enough room for all the cyclists. MTA should open all train cars to bikes and people and everyone will work it out.

[David in Tarzana]

The truth of the matter is that all of our transit agencies should have been planning for increased transit use and they haven't been. Now the systems are overwhelmed and so far behind that they will probably never catch up. The comments of Lynne Goldsmith are typical. Excuses, excuses. I do agree with her that folding bicycles are probably the only feasible answer. And in that answer you get the truth. Metro can not and will not do anything to accomodate bicyclists in the numbers necessary to make it work. So they cyclist is left with one option. Buy an expensive (if you want a decent one) folding bicycle. Once again, the average citizen is paying for our leaders inability to use our tax dollars wisely and in OUR best interests.

[rider]

I've had a bike stolen at a Metro location... and won't let that happen again. Bike lockers would do the trick. The bike racks on the buses are often full. And isn't there a rule of No bikes on the trains during rush hour????? $100k does not go very far in one year. So I am not expecting any improvements. (Maybe whoever decides on the budget for bikes is the person who needs to be contacted for your next blog).

[RAY S]

Regarding bike racks on trains: Some transit agencies have "tried it"? Portland's MAX has "tried it" for years and they are DOUBLING the number of bike racks on their new 4th generation trains.

Just more excuses from METRO for poor service.

[SoapBoxLA]

One of the most significant things we can do to encourage cycling and mass transit is to simply treat those who use the system with respect by providing sufficient accommodations.

Anything less than routine accommodation and complete access sends a message that cyclists and mass transit passengers are 2nd class citizens traveling in a 3rd world conditions.

When those who get out of the single occupant vehicle and walk, ride and take mass transit are treated like 1st class citizens, we'll be on our way to success!