Bike backers knock Caltrain plans

Caltrain officials are scheduled to release an update to their plans to add more bicycle capacity on trains, but local advocates are concerned that the upgrades will not fully address the growing demands of commuting cyclists.

Caltrain won’t unveil the plan until today’s regularly scheduled board of directors meeting because officials were still working on fine-tuning the details, spokeswoman Christine Dunn said Wednesday.

Despite the lack of public information, Andy Thornley of the San Francisco Bike Coalition said there are indications that the transit agency is considering designating a single Gallery car for bike use on its standard service lines, and, on the smaller Baby Bullet trains, clearing out all seats on the lower level to make room for bikes.

The options are troublesome, Thornley said.

“We’re quite concerned there could be a stand-or-steal scenario on the Baby Bullet trains,” Thornley said.

“It wouldn’t be a big deal during rush hour, when there are a lot of eyes around, but at 9 p.m., people who can’t see their bikes will be concerned that they’re going to be gone when they get off the train,” he said. “Thus, you could see a lot of people standing next to their bikes to make sure they don’t get stolen, which just adds to the congestion on the trains.”

On trains using the Gallery cars, Thornley said that Caltrain should investigate putting bikes on at least two of the cars instead of limiting their presence to a single area.

Depending on the model of the cars that make up a given train, Caltrain can accommodate 16, 32 or 64 bicycles, a capacity that is unpredictable and results in bike-riding commuters being turned away at the station, Thornley said.

Thornley also said it was vexing that details of the bike-increase proposal — which is a potential action item that could be voted on — were not publicly available before today’s meeting.

In October, Caltrain Executive Director Michael Scanlon said that the district could remove seats on trains to make room for the growing number of bicyclists in the area.

In a letter written to the district, the Silicon Valley Bike Association underscored the need for more bicycle capacity, saying that “previous investments in bike infrastructure have brought about a quick return on investment. Improving the program can help Caltrain be a leader in sustainability.”

Dunn said that Caltrain understands cyclists’ frustrations with the limited space, but that they have to consider the need for all of the system’s passengers.

“We have to balance the needs of our passengers that are bike riders with the needs of those that are not,” Dunn said.

At the start of the year, Caltrain raised fares by 25 cents, an increase that is expected to generate nearly $1 million in extra revenue this year.

Tracks and wheels

Bicycle capacity on Caltrain:

16 Bombardier car (used on Baby Bullet trains)

32 Gallery car (older model)

64 Maximum bicycles on a train (two Galley cars designated for bikes on a train)

Source: Caltrain