There has been some confusion about whether or not passengers on TriMet MAX trains are required to move for bicycles in the designated bike hook area.
Now, in a comment exchange from a post back in April TriMet has clarified that passengers are not required to move in order to make room for bicycles.
Here’s the exchange…
A commenter named “nothstine” wrote:
in bike hook area.
(Photo: Jonathan Maus)
“I got on the MAX downtown several weeks ago, specifically entering the one door where there was an open bike hook.
Standing in that space was a guy working a crossword puzzle who refused to move, claiming that the law said he had to get out of the handicapped area for someone in a wheelchair, but he didn’t have to get out of the bike hook area for a bike.
I disagreed, as did several bystanders…but I let it go…
Does anyone know what the rules are regarding whether passengers or bikes have priority in the bike hook area on MAX?”
TriMet’s bike policy liaison Eric Hesse answered nothstine’s comment:
(Photo: Jonathan Maus)
“This has recently been reviewed by our legal department, and passengers are not required to move from the bike hook area to make way for bikes, though we encourage them to do so. This is why we instruct passengers wishing to bring bikes onboard to courteously ask the other rider(s) to move and make that room available, and in most instances the other rider(s) will do so without any issue (providing space is available for them to move). I am very sorry to hear that this was not your experience recently, and trust that this was unusual in your general experience. Please let me know if not.”
Keep this in mind next time you board a crowded train.
[By the way, I just organized all (51) of my TriMet stories. You can view them in the archives.]