Commuting - Free bus ride in L.A. Thursday (5/18) for cyclist

Like the title said, but you have to wear helmet.

http://www.metro.net/news_info/press/metro_055.htm

I commute 3 days a week, and Thursday is one of them, hurray!:)

I'm pretty sure that Metrolink trains are free for cyclists on May 18th too.

Yeah, that too.

Not bad, I'm saving $1.75. Commuter Express from Westside L.A. to The Valley.

Saving $4.25 on Metrolink from Anaheim to Tustin.

Doesn't that kind of defeat the whole purpose of bike commuting?

It sounds like a Catch-22 to me. You get to ride the bus free if you ride your bike, but then if you ride the bus you aren't riding your bike. And it isn't available during normal commute times.

What would be neat is a "bike emergency/medic pass" which would allow you and your bike to ride free when it is inoperable due to theft of some bike part or complex repair need.

If they keep the helmet standard, the driver should inspect it to determine if it is properly fitted and secured, have the appropriate CPSC rating and has not been in a previous accident. So if you got a Trek Anthem C Elite or Anthem C Elite WSD helmet... you're walking. If we are going to be helmet nazis, let us at least be consistant helmet nazis. Otherwise we aren't being safe.

Well, depends, because my commute include a bus ride, because if not it's a 20 mile ride OVER a mountain pass for me.

Anyways, my bus driver was being an *******. Either he really doesn't know about this program or he just hate cyclist. Ended up paying the full fare like usual.

I was thinking the same thing- promote cycling by offering a free ride on the Metro? Maybe they're just trying to increase their numbers for customers or something? Cause that's kind of strange. :-/

Koffee

Our mass transit considers bikes a perfect compliment to bus service. It can basically replace a connection or two. Maybe this is what they intend.

I was thinking the same thing- promote cycling by offering a free ride on the Metro? Maybe they're just trying to increase their numbers for customers or something? Cause that's kind of strange. :-/

Koffee

I think it promotes cycling for new commuters. If they're trying it out for the first time, most people can't bike for 15 miles on a huffy, so it gives them the option of commuting to a station/bus stop, and hopping on the train/bus and then commuting from the stop to their workplace. So their commute has been reduced from 15 miles to something substantially shorter. Also, it may allow them to save some money and skip a bus/train interchange.

Well, depends, because my commute include a bus ride, because if not it's a 20 mile ride OVER a mountain pass for me.

Anyways, my bus driver was being an *******. Either he really doesn't know about this program or he just hate cyclist. Ended up paying the full fare like usual.

That sucks! Whenever I take advantage of something like this, I usually print out the press release from Metro to show them, I've had similar encounters with uninformed bus drivers.

Multi-mode transportation is a good thing, especially in the urban sprawl of southern california. I will soon be moving to a new place, and I would much rather take the train and ride 5-10 miles from the station to work than ride (or drive!) 35 miles.

Multi-mode transportation is a good thing, especially in the urban sprawl of southern california.

Agreed.

From all the people I know, only a handful live less than 10 miles from where they work/go to school.

Doesn't that kind of defeat the whole purpose of bike commuting?
Not really. In the mornings I ride 7.5 miles to the train and 5.5 miles from the train to work. That still sounds like bike commuting to me.

Besides, if someone were to ride a bike to the station, ride the train, take a bus from the train to work, isn't that a lot better than having that car on the already overcrowed roads?