[Ebbc-Talk] KOLO\Capitol Corridor And San Joaquin Trains Welcoming Bicycle Commuters

Capitol Corridor And San Joaquin Trains
Welcoming Bicycle Commuters
	Reporter: Pat Hambright
KOLO-TV (Reno, NV) | Fri 1:54 PM, 09-Nov-2012

SACRAMENTO -- Rail passengers now have extra space to securely
store bikes that previously spilled into aisle-ways, as Caltrans
nearly doubles the bicycle capacity on Capitol Corridor and
San Joaquin trains.

"There's been a need for additional storage as more and more
people ride bicycles on their commute," said Caltrans Director
Malcolm Dougherty. "By the end of next year, more than a dozen
expanded railcars will be available for train riders."

According to a press release today, the first expanded railcar
serving Capitol Corridor and San Joaquin passengers went into
service today. The lower levels of 13 additional railcars will
be converted to increase their bicycle-carrying capacity from
three bicycles to 13 bicycles per car, as well as 330 cubic feet
of additional luggage storage. This will increase the average
bicycle capacity from 12 bikes per train to 22 bikes per train.
Construction on the remaining cars will take approximately
four weeks per car with each one going into service as it is
retrofitted.

Five railcars in use in Northern and Southern California are
already equipped with the new design, and future bi-level cars
will also have the extra space.

The $8.3 million conversion project, which is fully funded by
the Recovery Act, will also enhance Americans with Disabilities
Act (ADA) access by moving onboard restrooms to a more
convenient location near the ADA seating area. To date, Caltrans
has paid about $2.3 billion of the $2.6 billion made available
to California.

The San Joaquin route operates between Bakersfield, Oakland
and Sacramento, and the Capitol Corridor route operates between
Auburn and San Jose.
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