Your city buses with bike racks?

[Deborajen]

Wichita just got racks installed within the past year. Our mayor is making fitness and recreation a priority since we've been one of the top 25 fattest cities in the country several times. We've gotten the new bike racks, the city has updated some of its bicycling laws, and they've even resurfaced a really bad portion of the river path. We're going to have a bicycle-friendly city yet! (OK - One can hope!)

An interesting thing about the racks - I went to a public meeting prior to the bicycling laws update and the racks were mentioned. One of the council members at the meeting said that a lot of people are getting off of the bus and forgetting to get their bikes. I guess if you get on at the front and get off at the back, and the rack is on the front of the bus - it's easy to see it happening. That's got to be a helpless feeling, though - seeing the bus drive away and then remembering the bike --

[Groundhog]

An interesting thing about the racks - I went to a public meeting prior to the bicycling laws update and the racks were mentioned. One of the council members at the meeting said that a lot of people are getting off of the bus and forgetting to get their bikes. I guess if you get on at the front and get off at the back, and the rack is on the front of the bus - it's easy to see it happening. That's got to be a helpless feeling, though - seeing the bus drive away and then remembering the bike --

Yeah, I'm wondering when I'll forget and have that happen to me!

[Eden]

An interesting thing about the racks - I went to a public meeting prior to the bicycling laws update and the racks were mentioned. One of the council members at the meeting said that a lot of people are getting off of the bus and forgetting to get their bikes. I guess if you get on at the front and get off at the back, and the rack is on the front of the bus - it's easy to see it happening. That's got to be a helpless feeling, though - seeing the bus drive away and then remembering the bike --

ummm sad fact is that there are some folks who steal bikes and then "dump" them by leaving them on city bus racks. Most people who are riding don't forget to get their bikes when they get off....

[crazycanuck]

Shootingstar, thanks the type of link i've been searching for.

I might suggest to http://www.patrec.org/ a possible study?

[Eden]

Seattle's system had peak hour restrictions for a while, I think it was something like no bike loading/unloading in a specific section of the downtown corridor. I always guessed that they didn't want to slow down boarding times, but I think it takes longer for people to board the bus during a busy period than to put a couple bikes on the rack. Could also have been that the buses only had so much space to stack at curbside stops.

I'm a bit fuzzy on the details since it didn't impact my commute (I never worked downtown), but I think after the bus tunnel re-opened (sometime in the last 2 years) they began to permit people to use the bike racks downtown at any time.

Indeed - I think there was some fear that there would be a slow down in boarding during peak hours downtown, but about a year or so ago they decided to pilot allowing cyclists to allow loading downtown and apparently it was not a problem at all as its still allowed and doing fine - really it doesn't take long at all to load a bike. If there are even a few people waiting to board you can load your bike up before they even all get on (well... as long as the rack doesn't jam...)

[shootingstar]

Not aware of any bike loading restrictions for bus bike racks, at any hr. any place in Metro Vancouver.

Think how dumb that type of policy would be: How about the frail elderly/disabled who are slow in boarding /disembarking a bus? Or a parent getting a child's stroller on board a bus (which is allowed on all our buses at any time if there is rm.).

I use bus bike racks about 2-4 times annually.
Hope I don't need it today. I plan to go cycling even with a pulled side hip muscle...it's abit painful just to sit and bend over abit..

[badgercat]

Since no one else has chimed in on these cities, I'll go ahead and add in the other places I've lived.

In Madison, WI: racks on every city bus

In Chicago: The Chicago Transit Authority has racks on buses, and also welcomes bicycles on the rapid transit train lines (except during weekday morning and evening rush periods). I believe the same thing goes for the regional trains (Metra) that go out to the suburbs--bikes are allowed on most trains except those during rush periods. There's a separate bus company (Pace) that covers the suburbs, and I don't recall if they had racks.

ETA: Suburban Chicago Pace Buses have all had bicycle racks since 2002, apparently.

ETA2: Wow, I never even thought to mention the city I live in RIGHT NOW. Probably because it was short-term by design and I never really felt at "home" here. But Omaha, NE does have a rack on every city bus.

[sjane]

We have them in Green Bay. I'm pretty sure they're on every bus.

[shootingstar]

As for a forgotten bike on bus rack: indeed, I know someone who did forget his bike. He did report his bike to the transit authority lost and found. But it was never recovered.

Best to plant oneself inside near the front of the bus as a passenger.

[Melalvai]

Wichita just got racks installed within the past year. Our mayor is making fitness and recreation a priority since we've been one of the top 25 fattest cities in the country several times. We've gotten the new bike racks, the city has updated some of its bicycling laws, and they've even resurfaced a really bad portion of the river path. We're going to have a bicycle-friendly city yet! (OK - One can hope!)

Oh, I really hope so. Kansas needs so much in the way of bicycle-friendliness. It's a great state for biking but it's very uncoordinated about it. Lawrence is a bronze level BFC, and I think one of the KC burbs, Olathe or Overland Park maybe, might be too. I'd love to see Wichita the first silver or better BFC. I was surprised that Lawrence is bronze, because it doesn't have all that much. I guess they painted a couple bike lanes to get it.

Sorry, slight thread hijack there. Columbia, MO buses have bike racks. Kirksville, MO doesn't have buses. The public transit is a van.

[Tourbiker]

We have bike racks on the buses in Whistler (and Vancouver, as you all know by now).

Tip to cyclists in cities that are considering bike racks...
I've used the Vancouver ones occasionally, including when they originally installed as a trial. The bus drivers were initially against them - my friend is a transit supervisor and told me the attitude of the drivers who wanted the program to fail. The drivers were supposed to record in a log whenever a cyclist used the rack so most didn't. Therefore, I used the racks many times and made a note of whether or not the driver made a note in his log. I then submitted the list to BC Transit and Cycling BC, politely noting that I realize that many drivers want to sabatosh the program. Fortunately, for whatever reason, the bike racks were eventually added to all buses although it took many years. So, if your city is going through this process, let those responsible know that you appreciate their efforts and provide helpful feedback.

[shootingstar]

The bus drivers were initially against them - my friend is a transit supervisor and told me the attitude of the drivers who wanted the program to fail. The drivers were supposed to record in a log whenever a cyclist used the rack so most didn't. Therefore, I used the racks many times and made a note of whether or not the driver made a note in his log. I then submitted the list to BC Transit and Cycling BC, politely noting that I realize that many drivers want to sabatosh the program. Fortunately, for whatever reason, the bike racks were eventually added to all buses although it took many years. So, if your city is going through this process, let those responsible know that you appreciate their efforts and provide helpful feedback.

Whereas in Eugene, Oregon when we were vacationing there for a few days last year, bus drivers help cyclists put bike on bus rack --if necessary. Even explain certain things to newbies.

By the way, welcome to TE forums!

[Groundhog]

For my first time loading a bike on the Seattle-area Sound Transit bus, I was having a hard time and the nice (woman) driver came out to help me. I felt pretty stupid but she said that all the racks are different and some are really hard to use and that I shouldn't feel bad. I haven't had any trouble after the last time. Good thing because not all drivers are nice.

[badgercat]

Interesting to hear about drivers getting out to help--in my cities, I've always heard/seen (from the transit company website, etc, not from a huffy bus driver) that drivers are not allowed to exit the bus to help. A couple times, I've seen drivers try to shout instructions through the windshield, which wasn't terribly effective.

[northstar]

Jumping in-

We have them in Minneapolis. The drivers help load them for you.

Not to digress, but I know there is also a voucher program available - so if you bike to work and get rained out, you can hop on a bus with your bike, free of charge. I'm not sure how it works as I commute a different direction than downtown, where it would be convenient to use, but it sounds pretty darn cool.