[UPDATE: Please see this story (posted at 5:35pm) for TriMet’s clarification of this incident.]
After over a year, and following clarifications from TriMet staff, their contracted security personnel are still allegedly telling some people that they cannot board a MAX train unless a hook is available.
Back in April of 2007, I shared reports from readers that were incorrectly told that they could not bring their bikes on board because there was no hook available.
In that story, TriMet strategic planner Eric Hesse said the security staff was not properly enforcing TriMet policy. He clarified with me that “there is no specific requirement that a bike hook be available,” and added that, “we have clarified this point with our inspectors and expect no further issues in this regard.”
But on Wednesday, another report of the same situation appeared on the Trimetiquette blog. The incident below happened on the MAX Blue Line at the 185th St. stop:
She [the blogger’s wife] was about to board, when she saw that Trimet ticket checkers were not letting cyclists board unless there was an empty hanger for their bike. Train after train they were kicking people off from previous stops, a group of 20-30 cyclists standing confused gathered…
My wife said one cyclist challenged them verbally and was given another ticket. His defense was that he was not blocking any one from moving in the cabin, and as he (and I) understood Trimet’s rules, this was allowed. No tolerance, bike on hanger or bike off train.
After reading that account, I asked TriMet’s Colin Maher for an explanation. Here’s how he responded:
“Thank you for bringing this to my attention and for giving me a chance to respond.
As this is the first I’ve heard of this incident, I can only speak from a policy perspective. The policy is stated on our website:
http://www.trimet.org/howtoride/bikes/bikesonmax.htm
If bikes aren’t on a hook, they must be placed in one of the designated areas (see website for details). TriMet tries to accomodate all passengers, but there isn’t enough room for people to stand in the aisles with bikes, especially on crowded trains. The confusion in the past was over bikes in designated areas, not bikes in the aisle.”
So, to clarify, here is the official policy (taken from TriMet’s website):
“If all the hooks are taken, you may use an area displaying the wheelchair symbol when there are no senior or disabled passengers present…”
TriMet’s policies on bringing bikes on board has long been the source of confusion for some riders, and with third-party security officers trying to enforce them, problems seem inevitable — especially now that ridership levels are at an all-time high and TriMet is trying to deal with bike capacity issues.
TriMet has the right to deny people with bikes from boarding trains when they are too crowded, or when no space is available. But hopefully, this confusion over hooks and where bikes are allowed, can be remedied so that we avoid misunderstandings in the future.
What has been your experience with this issue? Do you find TriMet’s policies about boarding MAX with your bike confusing?
Thanks for reading.
BikePortland has served this community with independent community journalism since 2005. We rely on subscriptions from readers like you to survive. Your financial support is vital in keeping this valuable resource alive and well.
Please subscribe today to strengthen and expand our work.
TriMet sucks
I can\’t say that I\’ve ever had a problem bringing my bike on Max. I didn\’t even know about this latest incident until a reporter interviewed me this morning on Max during my daily commute. I\’d like to know which station the reporter was with as I didn\’t ask but would be interested in seeing the segment.
But with Trimet increasing fares again, they need to do more to ensure that cyclists have a dedicated spot on Max and that other passengers should be made to vacate the bike spaces. Cyclists shouldn\’t be 2nd class citizens. Trimet really needs to do something positive soon as I\’ve occasionally seen up to 12 bikes in one half of the low body cars.
I\’ve had some experience with bringing my bike on MAX and on the bus. Honestly, it\’s an easy experience on the bus – if it has space in the front, you\’re set.
The MAX is a whole different animal. I\’ve had it where we had to wait since all of the hooks were being used on several trains that passed by before we could get on. My fiancee and I even had an instance where someone WOULDN\’T MOVE from below one of the hooks. We asked and he did not move. Granted, it was a little packed, but come on now. So we shared one hook with two bikes… which was terrible (for the bikes and for me having to hold it up so it wouldn\’t slip off).
The policy itself is, eh, kinda confusing. There are some designated spaces on the high-platform MAX trains which, if I were to bring my bike up there, people would give me bad looks even though there are stickers saying it\’s a designated bike carrying space.
I just think people don\’t care if they\’re standing in an area where a bike needs to go. Some people do, some just don\’t. Some give you the rolly eyes and move.
I bring my bike on max and the bus sometimes, but feel people without a bike should be given higher priority than me. I consider people without bikes the more vulnerable user and just like pedestrians we should yield to them.
I\’ve never been turned away from the MAX due to the hooks already being in use, but I have skipped a train due to it being way too crowded, missed the train trying to scramble to the last car to use one of the hooks still open, and gotten the stink eye from people when I ask them to move so I can hang my bike/asked them to move so I can get my bike down.
Regardless, it sounds like Tri-Met does indeed need to do something about this. More frequent trains would help ease overall crowdedness, or some sort of better designated bike areas on the current trains.
This kinda makes me think it might be a good idea to carry a copy of the offical TriMet rules surrounding bikes with me when I do use the MAX.
TriMet does not suck.
I bring my bike from Goose Hollow to Sunset most mornings and have not had any issues with security when no hooks are available.
I would agree that Tri-Met does need to clarify the rules as it is only going to be more crowded.
TriMet does suck.
Trimet is one of the more progressive bike accessible systems in the US…since they ended the Bike Permit requirement.
But having said that…this is a long ongoing issue that staff training should have by now cleaned up.
They were incorrectly removing/ denying access to transit bicyclists in a similar manner over 4 years ago. [Our Trimet sanctioned RU Bridge Curious tours ran into this issue even when we had small tours of ~6 riders.]
How about Trimet makes half of a car that is nothing but bike hooks. With adequate seating to accomodate the cars bike capacity. Portland is growing, especially in number of cyclists. Trimet needs to grow with them.
Sucks, doesn\’t suck – it\’s all an opinion. Here\’s mine. I agree with bigB – bikes should yield to peds on the trains. The relationships between car/bike/ped (and unicycle) will continue to be bumpy during this transition time. How about cars configured for bikes only? I know this isn\’t pratical now, but…
The bus does work very well, in my experience.
\”We should all be best friends\”
– Gil Penalosa
Only once in my experience did Trimet security interfere with bikes on MAX. On that occasion, they were telling cyclists on a very crowded front car that there was plenty of room for them in the back. The driver waited while a half dozen cyclists moved to the rear. Everyone was happy.
Trimet might suck when held up to some imaginary ideal, but compared to other transit systems in the real world, it\’s pretty good. I take my bike frequently and am only occasionally frustrated by overcrowding, and even then it\’s usually a temporary problem – catch the next train, take a different bus, etc. I am fortunate to live close in and have options; it\’s much tougher for folks in outlying areas with greater distances to cover and fewer buses and trains.
I\’ve loaded my bike on MAX hundreds of times and never had a problem with ticket checkers or security guards. Sometimes I can hang my bike on a hook; other times all the hooks are taken so I have to stand with my bike. Only once did I encounter a train so full that it couldn\’t accommodate one more bike. TriMet\’s written policy for bikes on MAX could be clearer – particularly about where you can stand with your bike. I suspect this recent incident was caused by a ticket checker who misunderstood the policy.
in my opinion the security gustapo should be enforcing passes in dangerous areas, not harassing people who try to get to and from work. to this end, they should be stepping up enforcement on the yellow line, and the blue line out east where people are being beaten up and stabbed. it baffles my mind the audacity these \”3rd party\” contractors display by giving tickets to people who have a right to use the system. further, they should be available during the low peak hours, protecting citizens who use Trimet in off hours when its not as safe.
What toddistic said.
Hey, how \’bout taking some notes from the highway widening people? Add MORE trains. Problem SOLVED.
so, what does this mean for zoobombers?
Hm, I think that means they kicked me off incorrectly, because I was standing in an unoccupied wheelchair area.
They need a small car between the two main cars to hold bikes, and maybe people with dogs also? Or strollers with kids etc.
Room for everone…..Peace.
not so much of a problem with full trains at 11pm on a sunday night. 🙂
What about all the humongous strollers clogging the aisles and doorways? Why is it that the security people are so zealous about enforcing rules for bikes but fail to do anything at all about the Sherman tank-like strollers that make riding the MAX such a miserable experience? In my experience, at least 98% of cyclists will go out of their way to move their bikes so people will get through. Very few stroller pushers ever do that.
Fair is fair. If bikes must be on hooks, then strollers musn\’t block aisles and doorways.
ok, so you board a train with your bike. all the hooks are taken, but THANKFULLY there are no seniors/disabled passengers sitting in the designated wheelchair area.
however, one will eventually board and sit there.
is that when you are forced to get off the train (at some random stop that that you may or may not be familiar with)?
is that when you\’re forced to frantically scan the next trains hoping that you can see a empty hook or wheelchair area and make a dash down the platform to board that particular train before it leaves?
you may have to wait for hours, especially during peak travel time.
oh, and how does one verify the \”seniority\” of a passenger or even their potential handicap????
are cyclists now suppose to confront passengers and demand proof of their age and/.or handicap?????
\”excuse me madame, you don\’t appear to be handicap and/or over 65 yrs old…. and i don\’t really feel like de-boarding the train, so could you just please verify your age or handicap so i can figure out if i\’m actually forced to leave the train? thanks\”
wow, i\’m glad i only take my bike on the max once a year (on average). however, this just adds to the laundry list of why i never bother to bus/max my bike anywhere.
i feel bad for the all the people that use the max as a integral part of their work commute to and from the burbs.
seems like trimet doesn\’t want to think outside the box on this one.
I skipped a train this morning because it was too crowded to put my bike on. It isn\’t very common that I do that in the morning, (much more often in the evening,) but I think it is probably going to become more of a problem… 95% of the time, (and indeed in this case,) the train behind it is mostly empty. But long term, I\’m thinking of renting a locker downtown for my bike, (it is $25/3 months,) and then another one at Beaverton TC, (free.)
I\’ve noticed a new sign on some of the trains recently: It says something like \’please allow cyclists access to the hook.\’ Not a \”required to move\” like for the senior/disabled section, but then the bicycle lobby hasn\’t passed any laws like ADA, (yet.)
My experience: I ride every weekday from Goose Hollow to Sunset round trip. My commute is threeish miles of riding at each end, so lockers don\’t do it for me. Now, I\’ve never been asked to leave the train, or denied entry to a train, although I\’ve been in some pretty packed situations, and have voluntarily skipped getting on a sardine can or two.
The fact is that TriMet\’s ridership is made up of cyclists and non-cyclists. They should serve the needs of both groups. If they find themselves without enough bike room, they should think about expanding the facilities. However, the mix is always changing. In the summer, there are going to be more bikes; in the winter, more Blazer fans. The best solution is to configure the trains such that the space is flexible, and allows plenty of bikes but isn\’t wasted space when there are more bikeless riders at a given time.
As a separate issue, I have utter distain for the mostly unaccountable, and universally undertrained \”rent-a-cop\” security that TriMet relies on. They don\’t know the rules, and make stuff up.
Does anyone know what happens if a bike is occupying the disabled spot. A person with a wheelchair boards the same car and needs that spot? If there is no room does the biker have to get off of the train?
from what i\’ve gathered from local news cycles:
1. There will be more security enforcing the fareless zones and checking tickets more often to keep the cars safe from hooligans.
2. People are getting robbed on the train.
3. Bikes are being kicked off and a growing rate.
classic rent-a-cop behavior. They\’re too scared to deal with punk kids, so they fill their quotas with bikers. damn shame.
It seems to me that pedestrians should have
the priority on the trains. And since the trains
are full, and there\’s no way to add additional
train cars, and the tracks are full,
the bikes on the trains will have a lower
priority and must yield.
if they kick you off they should definitely give you your money back…
This problem is probably different at different times of day. Two years ago, I used to commute from Sunset to Goose Hollow during morning rush hour. I don\’t recall ever seeing security guards. The trains leaving Sunset for downtown are always full during rush hour. There was usually plenty of room but people don\’t move from the doorways to the aisles unless they have to. I found that pushing my bike into the car always made room. When the train is that crowded navigating through the people to get to the hooks is pretty much impossible so I just stood by the door with my bike. I\’m not a jerk, but I felt like I had to act like one to get onboard.
The situation is messed up and Trimet does suck for not pro-actively coming up with a solution. I might be doing the same commute again soon and I am not looking forward to the hassles.
Trimet also sucks for not dealing with the lack of parking at Sunset TC. During the winter, I used to park at Peterkort Square and walk. That\’s a long way to walk in the dark and rain. If I do start that commute again, I\’ll seriously look into getting a parking spot downtown or maybe getting a scooter. A Trimet pass will soon be $86, car parking is $155, and motorcycle parking is $30.
If there\’s confusion about where a bike can be when no hooks are available, can\’t we get a bike box painted in the train just like on the streets? The costs can\’t be that prohibitive, and the marketing\’s already done.
folding bike=problem solved.
sorry to say it, but we\’re lucky to be able to bring big bikes on a the MAX. Most other place in the US, and even in Europe, you have ZERO options for bringing a bike into the passenger compartment of light rail. My feeling is that should end completely and if you want to bring bike on board, either pay an extra fare and put the bikes in a separate car or use a folder.
The Trimet page says, \”If non-bicycle riders occupy an area displaying the bike symbol, you may politely request that these passengers move from the area.\”
This is a little frustrating. What if the person says no? I would like the page to be clear. I assume the real deal here is, \”A passenger is not required to move to allow you to be in this spot with your bike, though you are welcome to ask. Please ask politely.\”
Trimet recently changed the wording in senior/disability spots from \”please yield\” to \”you must move\”. Was this web page overlooked in that transition? Perhaps the official policy is now that folks must move to make room for a bike and the page just doesn\’t say so.
I use the train to ride from Beaverton Transit Center to Goose Hollow. I never took the polka-dot jersey in the TDF so I am not up to riding up and over the West Hills every single time I go into the City. It is also dicey riding on streets like barbur, Capitol Highway, and Farmington at night because they are not that well-lit. If you talk to the majority of cyclists on the train in that area you\’ll find they are there for the same reason.
If I never rode a Tri-Met train again I would be happy, but I will be living out here until the younger one is finished with school because the schools out here have a better band program, and this is where all her friends are.
A folding bike is not the answer if you are riding a specific bike for a specific reason, like there are no folding track bikes, mountain bikes, BMX bikes, or tallbikes. For me a bike is more than a commuting tool, that is what a train is.
I just spoke with Trimet and they said they might be changing the rule to only one bike per hook, no others. Perhaps people can write trimet and the BTA. I wonder if folding bikes would be kicked off too. I have a Xootr Scooter, and they let me stay on Wednesday, when I saw the cyclists kicked off. I do think the should be focusing on gangs, teenagers and methheads that threaten people every day. I think it must be easier for them to confront Intel and Yahoo employees trying to get to work. They said they get many complaints about bikes, but I think not as many as for violence, than real trouble makers. The drivers never help when someone is going berserk, and if you complain, people think you\’re the problem. People hold an idealistic view about what goes on in Portland, but sometimes the reality doesn\’t match. It may be better than Houston, but New York has less fights on their transit systems, per capita, and people always try to help out. There is room for improvement in our lovely city, and trimet might even be taking away some rights from cyclist soon if not addressed.
pedestrians should definitely take priority on public transport. let\’s not forget that our BIKES are our transportation–riding the MAX is a luxury that expedites our commute by a few minutes, and that\’s only if it\’s in the outlying areas–if you\’re downtown, where things are often more packed, the vast majority of you are capable of beating the train to the other end.
the majority of my experiences with tri-met in general as a cyclist have been overwhelmingly positive. just yesterday a bus driver who had a full rack insisted that i wheel my road bike into the back with me rather than wait for the next bus.
honestly, this incident just sounds like ill-informed, power-happy rent-a-cops.
p.s. zoobomb + trimet = love
#27 I don\’t agree that there is no way to add more cars. Trains could easily be 4 cars long during rush hour. What would that mean, well it would mean that each time a train passed it would block a street for a short period of time. The question is would it be worth it to block some streets for 30 seconds or so every few minutes in order to make sure that there is space during peak periods. I say yes it would.
Also I think a recent survey showed that 20% of max users take their bikes, the new trains have capacity of 334 people and hooks for 8 bikes which represents less than 2 percent of the capacity. I think it is fine if they want to say bikes should use racks, but the rack space is clearly inadequate.
Bjorn
\”sorry to say it, but we\’re lucky to be able to bring big bikes on a the MAX. Most other place in the US, and even in Europe, you have ZERO options for bringing a bike into the passenger compartment of light rail.\”
That doesn\’t mean we shouldn\’t work to change a system that is still flawed. It may be better than most but that doesn\’t mean it can\’t be improved.
I\’ve had issues multiple times with fitting my bike on the Max, and I don\’t even do it that often. Usually, there\’s enough space, but the issue is with the passengers who stand there and stare blankly like they\’ve never heard the term \”excuse me\”. This isn\’t just a problem when I have a bike; people in Portland just stand in the worst possible places with absolutely no awareness of those around them. I\’ve been on much more crowded systems in other cities that function better because people in those places pay attention. I think Trimet needs to have a campaign on basic consideration.
I don\’t think that pedestrians should have automatic priority. For many people, biking for part of their commute is what makes carfree commuting feasible. Many of those \”pedestrians\” end up hopping in their cars at the Park \’n Rides. I\’m not saying thats bad – but biking shouldn\’t be discouraged in favor of driving. However, bikes do take up more space and I think it\’s reasonable to pay a little extra. I certainly would do so to ensure that I would be allowed to take my bike.
I\’m glad that some people have pointed out the inconsistencies of the policies. Strollers are just as bad when it comes to blocking aisles. Also, on the red line, big luggage is an issue. I\’m not saying that these items shouldn\’t be allowed, but if it\’s ok for those things to block the aisles, then why are bikes such a big deal?
Kudos to whoever mention the gigantic strollers that block entire isles/doorways all at once. Those ones with the huge MTB tires are pretty crazy.
if the designers of the MAX lines had had the foresight to put the trains underground in the downtown core (like most other metro areas do), train length wouldn\’t be an issue, nor would crashing your bike on the plethora of street-level tracks now present downtown. Bad planning = bad results.
I concur with Burr\’s point – We\’re all going to regret MAX *on* the streets instead of under.
I was warned by security about the no-hook=no-bike.
It may be incorrect but that\’s they way the rule is enforced.
The bike must be on a hook rule is going to be tough for some of us as the rims and tires of a lot of cruisers and MTB\’s don\’t fit in them.
One solution that might work would be to remove the seats in one of the bike/handicap area and put the rail with the hook parallel to the length of the train rather that across the width the way it is now. I bet we could fit 6-8 bikes in that space.
4 bike spaces per car isn\’t enough at rush hour and a lot of us need our bike for the commute at both ends.
Hopefully this policy will evolve. I recently made my first ride out to the coast with a group of seven friends, thanks to the head-start we obtained by taking the Max to Hillsboro (which kept the ride just under 100 miles, plenty for me!). We all shared the same Sunday morning light rail car, and it was no problem for other passengers; our bikes were no imposition. I hope that Trimet will foster rather than discourage using the Max as a carfree solution to support such positive sorts of recreation. Let\’s live up to our status as Platinum Bike City (and beyond), and that means accommodating cyclists who opt not to drive when possible.
Hey John, Tri-Met has a rule about \”oversize tires\” and an equally preposterous one about \”excessively dirty bikes\”. I think both were put in there so the could kick off the mountain bikers who ride trails illegally in Washington Park.
Jonathan has a post on here somewhere about the rules pertaining to bikes.
I think the smart thing to do would be to carry a copy of Tri-Met actual rules so you can whip them out when a Wackenhut Security Guard hassles you. That and the handout from the ACLU about how to deal with Police questioning you.
20\” 48 spoke BMX wheels won\’t fit on the hook, because the spokes are too close together.
Once again,
Screw Tri Met and the great white horse they rode in on. And this time I am saying it with conviction!
With all the problems on the trains, they pick extra bikes as the one to fix.
Short Story here:
I was on the way to bike polo in the third weekend in May, and, since it is so very far from my house, I cheated and rode the \”Shame Train\” from Delta Park to Killingsworth.
I witnessed a older (48) year old black man manhandling, grab assing, and harassing 3 12 -14 year old girls. I mean, seriously grabbing and coming on to them.
We get to Lombard, the girls get off the train, and he begins to follow them off.
I grabbed my bike, put it in the train doorway, dropped it, and grabbed the guy by the shirt collar. A Fare inspector was standing about ten feet away, and after hearing the story I told him what happened, he spoke to the girls, who verified the story.
Instead of doing anything at all about the guy I still had a hold of (another passenger and witness moved my bike onto the platform for me), he tells me there is no way to prove it, and he had to let him go. We of course had a handful of witnesses right there to prove it. I mentioned he probably has a warrant or something out for him, and if you run his name it will surely come up, and we can at least get him off the streets for a while.
Of course, he said he wasn\’t going to do that. He did ask for my proof of payment though before I left.
So he let him go, and I rode the rest of the way up to Killingsworth, mad as hell!
The Coup De Grace:
The next week or so, on the evening news, a police sketch of the EXACT SAME MAN was displayed, with information that he was on trains and buses and streets in the area grabbing and harassing ladies and children, I believe is what they said.
I could not even believe what I was seeing…..
I am still so mad about it I could just shit myself… (pardon my language) I really would have gone entirely against my own rules and just beaten the crap out of him when I had my chance.
I am sure happy that he did take the time to make sure a cyclist had paid his fare though….. It appears that cyclists may even be classified lower in Tri Met regulations than sex offenders…
They need a small car between the two main cars to hold bikes, and maybe people with dogs also? Or strollers with kids etc.
Room for everone…..Peace
They need a small car between the two main cars to hold bikes, and maybe people with dogs also? Or strollers with kids etc.
Room for everone…..Peace
Just a plain cargo car 15-20 feet.
#46, why do we need to know he was black?
So… the train is packed and there is no room for your large and unwieldy machine inside. Instead of complaining about how those strollers and wheelchairs take up so much precious space, why not just ride your bike to the destination? If bikes are the answer, why do you need to carry it on the train? And a special train car just for bikes? I\’d like one for motorcycles and compact autos too. Bunch of sissy primadonnas… ride more and complain less!
#49, it\’s part of his physical description. For instance, he could have been white, like most sex offenders in the Portland area seem to be. But he\’s not, he\’s black.