BART Permanently Lifts Rush Hour Bike Ban [View all]

The Bay Area's transit agency voted unanimously last week to lift the long-standing ban on bikes aboard trains during rush hour. After the five-month pilot program ends on December 1st, bikes will be permanently allowed on all BART trains, at all times.

Previously, riders couldn’t bring bikes onto most trains during peak commute hours. There’s still some restrictions: bicyclists aren’t supposed to board crowded trains, and bikes are never allowed in the first car, or the first three cars during rush hour.

It’s a big victory for bike advocates, who have been pushing BART to do away with the ban since the 1970s, when bikes were completely banned. Surveys from three pilot programs (one is ongoing) showed most riders don’t mind sharing trains with bikes. In the latest survey, 79 percent of those surveyed were in favor of allowing bikes on board during commute hours.

Still, about one quarter of riders surveyed said allowing bikes on board made their commute worse. Common complaints included cyclists pushing their way onto crowded cars or taking up seats reserved for seniors and disabled riders. .........................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.wnyc.org/story/bart-permanently-lifts-rush-hour-bike-ban/