seen any good bike/train commuting options

I currently bike to the train (MARC http://www.mtamaryland.com/) then
ride the train to DC. I would like to take my bike with me but it's not
allowed. Most of the other transit systems in the area carry bikes ex:
MetroRail (except rush hour), Metrobus, light rail in Baltimore and most
of the local bus systems carry bikes now also. I was wondering if anyone
has seen a system for carrying bikes on a train like Amtrak with no
baggage cars. I'm curious if there is a current system being used
somewhere else that I could use as an example when asking Maryland
Transit for an option other than buying a folding bicycle and packing it
into a carrying case.

--

ack

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ack wrote in news:bhtdri$l82$1@sun-
news.laserlink.net:
I was wondering if anyone
has seen a system for carrying bikes on a train like Amtrak with no
baggage cars. I'm curious if there is a current system being used
somewhere else that I could use as an example when asking Maryland
Transit for an option other than buying a folding bicycle and packing it
into a carrying case.

Caltrain is a commuter train serving the San Francisco area. They allow
bicycles on all trains without folding or boxing. See
http://www.caltrain.org/caltrain_bike_access.html

ack wrote in message ...
I currently bike to the train (MARC http://www.mtamaryland.com/) then
ride the train to DC. I would like to take my bike with me but it's not
allowed. Most of the other transit systems in the area carry bikes ex:
MetroRail (except rush hour), Metrobus, light rail in Baltimore and most
of the local bus systems carry bikes now also. I was wondering if anyone
has seen a system for carrying bikes on a train like Amtrak with no
baggage cars. I'm curious if there is a current system being used
somewhere else that I could use as an example when asking Maryland
Transit for an option other than buying a folding bicycle and packing it
into a carrying case.

The San Jose-San Francisco commuter train, CalTrain
can take a minimum of 32 bikes per train (some trains
have two bike cars for a total of 64 bikes).

This was a long hard battle, but at the time it started
the trains were running empty enough that it wasn't
causing any lost seat revenue, and sadly this is the
case again, though there was a time (pre-Bush) that the
trains were pretty crowded and even with 32 bike
spaces they were turning cyclists away at the station.
I couldn't risk missing a train and waiting 30 minutes
for the next one (which could also be full), so I went
the folding route.

Basically they took half the seats out of one car and
put in some steel bars to stack bikes against. You have
to try to arrange the bikes in the order of stations,
but there is a lot of shuffling of bikes, and it's not
a place for an expensive bike that you don't want to get
scratched. Generally people hang a tag on their bike
indicating their departure station so people boarding
the train can place their bike either in front of, or
behind the existing bikes.

If Maryland transit is running their trains with a lot
of empty seats then they might be willing to look at
what Caltrain has done, but if the trains are packed
then they probably wouldn't be interested. The conversion
to a bike car is permanent, there is no way to fold down
a seat to convert the space back to passenger space.

You can read about the bike program at:
"http://www.caltrain.com/caltrain_bikes.html"

ack wrote in message ...
I currently bike to the train (MARC http://www.mtamaryland.com/) then
ride the train to DC. I would like to take my bike with me but it's not
allowed. Most of the other transit systems in the area carry bikes ex:
MetroRail (except rush hour), Metrobus, light rail in Baltimore and most
of the local bus systems carry bikes now also.

Surprising (and disappointing) that MARC won't even allow bikes on board
during non-commute hours. Generally, commuter-type operations don't
have the crowding problems seen on subways and have platforms that are
long enough to handle an extra bike-car if needed.

I was wondering if anyone
has seen a system for carrying bikes on a train like Amtrak with no
baggage cars. I'm curious if there is a current system being used
somewhere else that I could use as an example when asking Maryland
Transit for an option other than buying a folding bicycle and packing it
into a carrying case.

Some examples from California:
1. Amtrak "California" railcars have bike racks in the vestibule
area -- 3 bikes per car. The newer cab cars have room for 15. These
are technically "intercity" and not commute trains, however.

2. Caltrain cabcars have been converted to bike cars -- the lower
level of the bi-level car has had most seats removed and bike
racks installed. There is room for 24 bikes.

3. Lower level of one of the ACE (Altamont Commuter Express) cars
also has the entire lower level devoted to bike racks.

ack wrote in message ...
I currently bike to the train (MARC http://www.mtamaryland.com/) then
ride the train to DC. I would like to take my bike with me but it's not
allowed. Most of the other transit systems in the area carry bikes ex:
MetroRail (except rush hour), Metrobus, light rail in Baltimore and most
of the local bus systems carry bikes now also. I was wondering if anyone
has seen a system for carrying bikes on a train like Amtrak with no
baggage cars. I'm curious if there is a current system being used
somewhere else that I could use as an example when asking Maryland
Transit for an option other than buying a folding bicycle and packing it
into a carrying case.

GO transit in Ontario allows bicycles on trains, except rush hour. (of
course for most of their routes they only run trains during rush
hours, and don't allow bikes on the buses which does make taking
bicycles difficult)

They allow two bikes per train in the vestibule area. You can see an
example of where the bikes go on this page
http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/journ...l&page_id=1933

For longer distance trains with comfortable seats I can't see where
you could put bicycles unless they removed a couple of seats on each
train which you'd probably find it hard to convince them to do.