Bikeforums.net is a forum about nothing but bikes. Our community can help you find information about hard-to-find and localized information like bicycle tours, specialties like where in your area to have your recumbent bike serviced, or what are the best bicycle tires and seats for the activities you use your bike for.kmcrawford111
07-17-09, 07:23 PM
You folks in NE Illinois are really fortunate... being able to take your bikes on Metra. Being able to take a train ride out all over the place and then being able to ride back to where you got on the train must be awesome. Not having to take a car and know that you have to ride back to it. A station is almost never more than 5 miles away, if you want a ride back or you have trouble.
Here in Northwest Indiana, we have a commuter train system (just one line, though) that links with yours in Chicago but we aren't allowed to take full-size bikes on at any time of the day, even though our new cars are the same as Metra's. The organization that runs it is basically non responsive to our requests, but since it is subsidized we (or advocacy group) has reason to fight it. It seems rather inane to me that we shouldn't be allowed to take our bikes on when there is plenty of room - especially as many of our stations have handicapped ramps that must make this easy. Even if we were allowed to put bikes on only at stations that have ramps, I'd still be thrilled. I understand the no bikes on peak hours policy, though. The station nearest me doesn't even have any bike parking, and yet every time I go there I see several bikes chained to signs, rails, etc.. It's just another example of how stuck in the past we are here. All that is required to make room for the bikes is to have seats that fold up. That's it! That we don't have this shred of a pittance of an accomodation while we squander gargantuan resources on accomodating cars drives me up the wall.
Illinois seems Progressive, and accepting of alternative modes of transportation. Here, if you don't drive, you don't matter. Well, we almost don't matter. My particular city does seem serious about providing sidewalks now, and we do have some very nice MUPs, but accomodations throughout the cities are otherwise nearly nothing, yet we've got all kinds of gargantuan parking lots all over the place that are rarely half-full. It's disgusting, really. Bicycles are almost universally seen as for recreation-only. I was on one of our best trails today, and there were all kinds of people out enjoying themselves, and this was Friday morning - normal working hours! It also seems to be about the only place people will actually say "hi" to you on. But once you're out on the streets, the cyclists, joggers, and skaters all but completely dissapear. It seems almost everyone drives to a trailhead, parks, gets some exercise, then goes back to their cars. It's incredibly ridiculous - why waste time and resources driving to a trail when you can ride there, since you want to ride anyway? This is just one more reason why I think gasoline can't be considered "expensive". (And I realize that some of these folks might be stopping on their way to or from somewhere else, which is more understandable).
Now, we can get away with bringing very small folders on our trains. If I was taking the train for commuting, and had to travel more than easy walking distance, I think using a Brompton would be kick ass. In fact, I want to get one anyway. But that doesn't seem reason enough to not permit full-size bikes. I can't remember seeing a single person in Indiana with a folder.
What are your thoughts on this program? How's it working for you? Any trouble? Ever been denied putting your bike on when they are normally allowed? Why? Is it much trouble getting the bikes on? Are ramps always available for doing so, or are the bikes ever carried up the steps? Do people generally like the program?
Here in Northwest Indiana, we have a commuter train system (just one line, though) that links with yours in Chicago but we aren't allowed to take full-size bikes on at any time of the day, even though our new cars are the same as Metra's. The organization that runs it is basically non responsive to our requests, but since it is subsidized we (or advocacy group) has reason to fight it. It seems rather inane to me that we shouldn't be allowed to take our bikes on when there is plenty of room - especially as many of our stations have handicapped ramps that must make this easy. Even if we were allowed to put bikes on only at stations that have ramps, I'd still be thrilled. I understand the no bikes on peak hours policy, though. The station nearest me doesn't even have any bike parking, and yet every time I go there I see several bikes chained to signs, rails, etc.. It's just another example of how stuck in the past we are here. All that is required to make room for the bikes is to have seats that fold up. That's it! That we don't have this shred of a pittance of an accomodation while we squander gargantuan resources on accomodating cars drives me up the wall.
Illinois seems Progressive, and accepting of alternative modes of transportation. Here, if you don't drive, you don't matter. Well, we almost don't matter. My particular city does seem serious about providing sidewalks now, and we do have some very nice MUPs, but accomodations throughout the cities are otherwise nearly nothing, yet we've got all kinds of gargantuan parking lots all over the place that are rarely half-full. It's disgusting, really. Bicycles are almost universally seen as for recreation-only. I was on one of our best trails today, and there were all kinds of people out enjoying themselves, and this was Friday morning - normal working hours! It also seems to be about the only place people will actually say "hi" to you on. But once you're out on the streets, the cyclists, joggers, and skaters all but completely dissapear. It seems almost everyone drives to a trailhead, parks, gets some exercise, then goes back to their cars. It's incredibly ridiculous - why waste time and resources driving to a trail when you can ride there, since you want to ride anyway? This is just one more reason why I think gasoline can't be considered "expensive". (And I realize that some of these folks might be stopping on their way to or from somewhere else, which is more understandable).
Now, we can get away with bringing very small folders on our trains. If I was taking the train for commuting, and had to travel more than easy walking distance, I think using a Brompton would be kick ass. In fact, I want to get one anyway. But that doesn't seem reason enough to not permit full-size bikes. I can't remember seeing a single person in Indiana with a folder.
What are your thoughts on this program? How's it working for you? Any trouble? Ever been denied putting your bike on when they are normally allowed? Why? Is it much trouble getting the bikes on? Are ramps always available for doing so, or are the bikes ever carried up the steps? Do people generally like the program?