Community Corner
Bikes On Board - April 17 2019 Workshop
Do YOU take your bike on CalTrain? Do YOU have enough room?
Article Source: Bikes On Board
Hello Bicycle Commuters and Supporters,
Public concern about bike theft has convinced Caltrain to hold an important public workshop to evaluate reconfiguration options for bike cars on electric trains. Save the date and be sure to attend!
Find out what's happening in San Brunofor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Time: 5:40pm, Wednesday, April 17
Place: 1250 San Carlos Ave, San Carlos
Staff will provide large drawings of EMU (electric multiple unit) cars and workshop attendees will be asked to arrange seats and bike racks on the drawings. Staff will offer three options (all of which we find unacceptable):
Find out what's happening in San Brunofor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Option 1: Two bike cars, no reconfiguration (current design)
Option 2: Reconfigure two bike cars
Option 3: Reconfigure three bike cars
Requirements:
- 84 bike spaces per seven-car EMU train to meet the 8:1 ratio of seats-to-bike spaces mandated by the board in 2015
- At least half as many seats as bike spaces within view of bikes (same as today) to help prevent bike theft
None of Caltrain’s proposed options can meet both requirements, no matter how the cars are reconfigured!
Click here to learn how all three options fail.
Staff is pulling out all the stops to persuade the board (all new since 2015) that the 8:1 ratio no longer applies, setting the stage for less bike capacity. Instead of highlighting the environmental, economic, and societal benefits of bikes on board, staff is blaming bikes for all sorts of problems. Click here for our rebuttal.
Please email the Caltrain Board to tell them (1) staff should provide drawings of all seven cars at the workshop, not just three cars, and (2) honor the 8:1 ratio of seats-to-bike spaces unanimously approved by the board in 2015, that is, 84 bike spaces per seven-car EMU train.
Next Caltrain Board Meeting
Attend the next Caltrain Board meeting and speak up for bikes on board!
Time: 10:00 AM, Thursday, April 4
Place: 1250 San Carlos Avenue, San Carlos, two blocks from the San Carlos train station
You'll be done before 10:30am. If you can make it and would like to coordinate comments with us, please email bikesonboard@sonic.net.
We Need Your Help
Do you have a few hours to volunteer between now and June to advocate for bikes on Caltrain? Join the BIKES ONboard all-volunteer team! Activities may include taking photos, passing out flyers, researching Caltrain documents, editing/writing, or other ideas you may have. The Caltrain board will vote June 6 on electric train final layout, so it's our last big push! The decision the board makes in June will be with us for decades. To get more involved, please email bikesonboard@sonic.net.
Report All Bicycle Bumps
Please report all bicycle bumps using Caltrain’s bicycle bump report form, which automatically sends a tweet @CaltrainBikes. It is critical for Caltrain to hear about bicycle bumps, especially now!
Please forward this email to other bike riders and anyone who cares about bicycle commuting. Thank you for your continued support!
More bikes, no bumps,
Shirley Johnson
BIKES ONboard Project
Contact us at bikesonboard@sonic.net
Thank you for supporting bikes on board Caltrain.
Our mailing address is:
BIKES ONboard4th & King
San Francisco, CA 94107
Photo Credit: San Bruno CA Patch Archives
Source Credit: Bikes On Board
CLICK on link below to Subscribe to News Alerts and a Daily Email Newsletter for San Bruno Patch
http://link.patch.com/join/3-0-subscribe?list=US_CA_SANBRUNO_282
#SanBrunoPatch