California Cyclists Win More Space on CalTrain Rail Cars

Published: 09-Feb-2009

Both of our local dailies reported today that Caltrain has responded to local bicycle activists' missives and will expand its trains' bike-carrying capacities. And yet, neither of the papers reported that Caltrain's solution may only deliver less than a third of what bike backers were after. (also, the Chronicle headline "Bicycle activists win 1, lose 1 in space battle" left us thinking this story was going to involve X-Wing Fighters; finally we'll have space for our bikes and our R2 units).

"What we came away with is a lot less than what people would like," concedes Andy Thornley, the program director of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition.

Tired of being bumped off Caltrains with full bike cars -- and legions of empty seats -- Thornley and his fellow activists have been lobbying the trains system for more than a year leading up to yesterday's San Carlos meeting. The Bicycle Coalition's plan was bold: It called for two bicycle cars per train, each of which would be revamped to hold 40 bicycles. But that's not what Caltrain opted to do.

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