Seeing as the subway’s nowhere near me, I really have no personal stake in this debate — but apparently, the long-unobserved “no bikes on the subway during rush hour” rule’s now under scruitiny.
While Metro doesn’t officially allow bikes on trains from 6:30 am - 8:30 am and 4:30 pm - 6:30 pm every day, that rule’s not been enforced so far. But now, LA City Councilman Eric Garcetti’s sponsored a resolution to take said unenforced rule off the books.
The motion’s not without its controversy, since the subways can already get crowded. Garcetti himself asked Metro to look into ways to create more space for bikes on the bus, whether by moving seats or installing a bike rack. Karen at Losanjealous calls the rush our issue “tricky,” as “It would be great for bikers while simultaneously annoying nonbikers.” She suggests a bike-designated car, an idea Steve Hymon of Bottleneck Blog’s also interested in. Hymon also suggests folding bikes.
Regardless, if Metro wants to start enforcing this rule, it’ll need to find other ways to make life easier for bike-train combo commuters. Notes Damien Newton of Streetsblog LA: “enforcing this ban, especially since many Metro facilities still don’t have adequate bike parking, is a great way to discourage cyclists from taking Metro in a time when people are flocking to bikes and transit because the financial cost of driving is too high.”
Garcetti also intro’d a motion to create a pilot program of sharrow lanes on streets. Basically, this would mean painting something like the figures to the left on roads, moving cyclists toward the road to avoid getting doored by parked cars, and reminding drivers to watch out for cyclists. Assuming the pilot program gets approved, sharrows would be painted on Vermont Ave. between Hollywood and 4th, and Fountain Ave. between the 101 and Hoover. Pasadena, BTW, already has sharrows on some roads, as Hymon discovered.
In the more bike-friendly Santa Monica, Alex Thompson of Westside Bikeside wants fellow cyclists to help shape the Land Use and Circulation Element update, which the city council’s mulling over now. The next discussions happen on July 8th and July 15th. I’d like Alex to be more specific about what he thinks we cyclists should be pushing for, however….
Top photo by Fred Camino, bottom photo by BikePortland.org
I didn’t know they were called “sharrows,” but we actually have those in downtown Corona of all places. They don’t seem to detour motorists from honking at me for being on the street, though…
Comment by Brian — July 1, 2008 @ 6:07 pm
Alex has been, and will be, more specific. However, “voice your general support of the LUCE Bike Policy Recommendations” is a specific request, ambiguous as it may sound.
Comment by Alex Thompson — July 2, 2008 @ 2:42 am
I’m not seeing where taking away train cars or taking away the ability to enforce the ban on bikes during rush hour as even sort of fair.
Nowhere in the world can bikes be on the train during rushhour and the cars are getting more crowded.
I think METRO should add more cars if they want to discuss this. I think METRO should add more busses if they want to discusss this. I think METRO should add more bike parking. METRO would love to do this because it would be great for METRO because it means they can look like the good guy, when they’ve done essentially nothing at all.
Take some seats from people who need them, because cyclist want some room, nope. Not ok.
Browne
Comment by browne — July 2, 2008 @ 10:49 am
ahhhh, bringing bikes on public transportation is always an adventure, isn’t it? i’ve had so many run ins but want to relive 2 of them right now.
first, i rode on a bus for only 35 miles but was trembling in fear and watching my bike the entire time, not that i’d be able to do anything if it happened to bounce off the hook (!!) that it was hanging on, on the outside of the bus! one of the scarier hours of my life. (oh vermont)
then, about a month ago i took a bus from denver to boulder and was hysterically laughing because i was the only one on the bus without a bike! without a fixed gear bike at that. i felt so uncool. i did have 2 oversized duffles though!
here’s to getting better public transport, and im hoping by my train to detroit in september will result in a safe arrival for both me and my bike!!
Comment by emily — July 2, 2008 @ 10:54 am
Thanks Alex — Will look forward to reading more. For someone who lives here, I’m really not v. familiar with the bike route/lane network in Santa Monica as a whole and appreciate advice as to what we should be advocating for, big picture-wise. Mostly everything I need I can get to by riding down California or Arizona….
emily — I still haven’t done the whole bike on the bus rack thing. Current excuse: Bike’s heavy, I’m weak….
Comment by Siel — July 2, 2008 @ 2:22 pm