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Bikes Kept a Rollin’ All Year Long
Working with Metra to improve access to bicyclists

by Randy Warren

Nearly any day at Chicagoland’s 230 Metra commuter railroad stations, you can watch people load bicycles onto and off of Metra passenger trains.

But it wasn’t always this way.

After more than a decade of advocacy by the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation, Metra finally relented and started offering regular service to passengers with full-size bicycles in 2005, effectively adding commuter trains to the region’s expanding array of bicycling facilities.

As with any change, there have been some rough moments. Conductors have turned away passengers with bicycles even though the schedule said that they should be able to enjoy a hassle-free bike-to-transit connection.

Metra management says that it continues to work with its staff to educate them about Bikes on Metra. Certainly, many conductors are said to be helpful with those bringing bikes aboard. Although CBF hears about problems, we also hear plenty of praise for the initiative. Many reverse commuters (who travel from the city to the suburbs in the morning, and from suburbs to city in the evening), for example, report that the service is a vital and dependable part of their daily routine.

Since CBF helped to initiate Metra’s Bikes on Trains program, even Metra’s customer service personnel have referred callers to CBF for answers to their questions about Bikes on Trains.

In the fall of 2005, CBF met with Metra to evaluate the program and make recommendations for 2006. As a result of that meeting Metra allowed an additional bicycle on each disabled-accessible train car during program hours (from two to three bikes per car) and lowered the ride-alone minimum age from 18 to 16.

CBF meets with Metra again before the end of 2006 to seek further improvements. On the slate for this year’s evaluation is the incorporation of bicycle accommodations into Metra policy for new or improved facilities. We also want to see a fourth bicycle allowed per car and a reduction in some of the blackout times.

After spending years developing relationships with Metra management, CBF can be effective in solving problems of immediate concern, such as being denied legitimate access to a train. We also field suggestions on how the program can be improved.

Metra made a big step in accommodating passengers with bicycles and CBF is committed to continuing to work with Metra to make the program better at every opportunity.

Randy Warren is program director of the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation