[Ebbc-Talk] Supportive of bikes: Double fare for bikes in peak hours.

I'm sharing my feelings on the BART vote on bike access here:

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I'm a cyclist, and frequent user of bikes on BART, including a bike with a
trailer. Yet I'm not a supporter of all hours bike access.  There are a few
consistently crowded morning and evening segments where bikes are taking
valuable space that otherwise would carry 2 or 3 more passengers.

I'm fully in support of lifting the Downtown Oakland bans on
entering/exiting.
And lifting the escalator restriction (provided the bike's brakes are
engaged and the bike is not carried).
And setting firm bike theft reduction targets for BART police.
And expanding secure parking and bike stations.
And making fare gates work better for cyclists (no closing doors on our
rear wheels).
And bike resting stands on station platforms.
And bungee cords or hooks inside the trains.
And rental bikes/bike share at all BART stations, especially the remote
ones.
And market rate parking fees.
And more car sharing integrated with BART.
And more functional connections between Amtrak and BART.
And better land use planning & beneficial density near BART.
And faster trains.
And world peace.
But lifting the peak hour peak train restriction... not so much.

Perhaps a compromise would be acceptable. Bikes would be free during most
hours. But those same peak hour station pairs would be double the fare, if
you brought a bike. Double is not quite enough (as a standing bike on BART
takes up more than twice the space of a person)... but it would send the
right price signal.  The fare would send the message "if you can avoid
these trains, please do so.  If you're stuck then we'll take you".

Or maybe just maybe each Translink card would permit just two bike trips in
peak hours per month *.

      -Bryce Nesbitt


* Until bike racks were installed, there was a somewhat similar policy at
Emery Go Round:
Only riders with flat tires or mechanical problems were invited to bring
their bikes aboard.
Normally bikes were not welcome.
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