onto a MAX train.
(Photos © J. Maus)
As reported yesterday, TriMet is working to improve the bike hooks on their MAX trains. However, if you’re like many people who take a bike onboard (especially during peak hours), the bigger problem is that there are just aren’t enough hooks available.
If you’re waiting for more bike capacity or more hooks, don’t hold your breath — all signs point to no increased bike capacity on MAX in the foreseeable future.
TriMet recently bought new MAX trains and the design offers more seats (eight more per train), more rider capacity (space for 36 more passengers) but has the same number of bike hooks (eight) as existing trains (a “train” is two joined MAX vehicles). Below is a rendering of the new trains (which are slated to arrive this fall):
The scarcity of bike hooks has inspired some riders to make their own.
(Photo: Mark Allyn)
SE Portland resident and artist Mark Allyn — who commutes everyday to Hillsboro — made his own hook by welding a few spoons together. I’ve heard other reports of people using straps to fasten their wheels to the bar in the bike hook area.
Unfortunately for these do-it-yourselfers, TriMet’s bike programs intern Colin Maher (read more about him here) says that’s not allowed.
Because of safety concerns, Maher says TriMet can’t allow customers to hang a second bike in the bike hook area. “I’ve seen people use their own strap to hang a second bike,” says Maher, “and the result I’ve observed is that the handlebars of the second bike extend almost to the center pole and block the aisle.”
Maher suggests people who bring bikes on MAX take a look at the Bikes on Max section of the TriMet website (or watch this TriMet TV episode) where their official policy states:
“Bikes must be suspended from the hook, one per space. If all the hooks are taken, you may use an area displaying the wheelchair symbol when there are no senior or disabled passengers present who need to use the area…One bike may be placed against the door of the operator’s cab on cars with stairs if the cab is not in use.”
A lack of space for bikes on MAX trains is likely to only get worse as TriMet’s ridership numbers skyrocket and more people look to multi-modal transportation solutions instead of driving their cars.
In August 2007, TriMet conducted research to learn more about their customers who bring bikes on MAX. The survey (a final report is due out later this month) made it clear to TriMet that there are bike capacity issues.
Results of their study (which included an online survey, hand counts, and an on-board surveys) showed that 3.8% of passengers brought bikes on board — that’s an estimated average of 2,100 bike-on-MAX trips every weekday.
From 4-6:00pm on the northbound Yellow Line, TriMet researchers counted an average of five bikes per car — that’s one more than capacity (and that number doesn’t take into account how many people decided not to board with a bike because the train was too full).
Eric Hesse, a strategic planning analyst for TriMet said at the January meeting of the Portland Bicycle Advisory Committee that, “The conclusions of this survey suggest that people are using MAX [with their bikes] because it makes their trip possible.”
When asked to give reasons why they took their bike on MAX, 77% of the survey’s respondents said their trip was “too far to bike only” and 76% said they needed their bike to reach their final destination.
The notes from that January meeting state that the results of the survey, “demonstrate a need to accommodate bikes on board,” and that the ability to do so, “expands TriMet’s ability to get more people to use the system.”
Further complicating the issue for TriMet is that 42% of respondents said if they couldn’t bring their bike on MAX during rush-hour they’d otherwise drive a car (the highest percentage of any alternative) and 76% said they would not be willing to leave their bike at a covered, secured parking area at the MAX station.
At the BAC meeting last January, Hesse acknowledged that “we have seen the need to accommodate as much [bike] capacity as we can.”
So, how does TriMet plan to do that (since their new trains don’t have any more hooks)?
At this point, TriMet says they’ll delve further into their survey data and be on the lookout for other good ideas. One possibility that is being discussed is a program to encourage customers to ride folding bikes. The city of Santa Cruz, California offers a discount of $200 toward the purchase of a foldable bike (upon completion of a bike safety class) as part of their Foldable Bikes on Buses Incentive Program.
Maher, with TriMet’s bike program, says he’s “excited” to create partnerships with the bike industry and promote and encourage folding bikes, “not as the solution,” he says, “but as a great option for commuters that regularly encounter crowded trains or buses.”
Bike capacity on buses faces similar hurdles for riders and for TriMet staff. Some have called for the use of three-bike racks (currently all TriMet buses have a two-bike rack), but Maher says that option is not looking good.
He says they’ve looked into the three-bike design and that it’s not all its cracked up to be. Maher says that in other cities, some bikes have fallen off three-bike racks and that the larger racks are that block the bus’ headlights. Most importantly, he says, they make the buses too long and unable to maneuver around each other at busy transit centers.
As TriMet grapples with high fuel prices, increased ridership, and an increased demand for taking bikes on their trains and buses, it looks like customers who bike will have to schedule trips during off-peak hours (if you can), wait for the next train (or bus), get a foldable bike (but make sure it doesn’t block the aisles!), or just ride all the way to their destination.
Do you have any ideas for how TriMet can add bike capacity? What has been your experience taking your bike onboard?
Thanks for reading.
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We have it so rough! Too many bikes on Public transit? I love this town.
The numbers of bikes on Max in this article seem low to me
\”From 4-6:00pm on the northbound Yellow Line, TriMet researchers counted an average of five bikes per car — that’s one more than capacity (and that number doesn’t take into account how many people decided not to board with a bike because the train was too full).\”
I typically see 5 bikes in the half of the car I\’m in, that\’s 10 bikes per car. And I\’ve also frequently seen 10-12 bikes in half the car (4-6 by the hooks and another 4-6 in the handicapped area). And this is from Beaverton to Hillsboro which is my normal commute.
I don\’t even bother to consider busses as an option. Either the rack is full or I can get there faster by bike anyway, which is especially true at rush hour when the busses make more stops and are stuck in traffic.
Here\’s an idea – instead of putting it on the bus, ride it! 🙂
I can see how there will be more options for the Max to address this issue, but I don\’t see how they\’re going to get more space on a bus.
I think it\’s going to come down to a choice between riding your bike to your destination, or locking it at a transit center or somewhere and getting on the bus without it.
I think I\’m a little bias as I\’d rather get up an hour early and ride 20 miles to work than set foot on a bus. It has less to do with my dislike of the bus and more to do with my love of riding my bike. But I do loathe the bus.
I occasionally ride Yellow (used to ride it often) with my bike. I will not board if the existing hooks are occupied. It is very irritating when cyclists do.
I have seen everything from bikes tipping over on other passengers to bikes getting grease stains on other passengers clothing.
People may think (I do) Tri-met needs more bike capacity, but that doesn\’t give us the right to cram our bikes onto a full train.
Thoughtless, imho.
It\’s hard not to be frustrated that even though bike capacity is a visibile problem (i.e. just watch the trains during peak hours), it wasn\’t taken into consideration AT ALL in the resign on the train. Only now, when the survey has been completed and looked at on the surface….ALTHOUGH WAIT! It has to be \’delved into\’ first…just to make sure…we really NEED more bike space.
I\’ll try to reserve my annoyance, but seriously?!
The folding bike incentive is interesting, I know that for myself I\’d rather bike the whole way than do that, but I can see how a lot of folks would be into it.
Still pondering…
\”Folding bikes\”?
Folding bikes are super cool, but a new Brompton from Clever Cycles is over $2k. You can get cheaper Bike Fridays, but few people can/will spend that kind of money just so they can take the bike on the bus or max.
No, I\’m pretty sure they\’re going to continue driving. And don\’t quote math at me how you\’d spend less in a year on gas if you biked everywhere – that\’s how how people on the brink of bicycle commuting are going to see it. They\’re going to see \”fill up today for $50 or buy a $2000 bicycle\”
The big picture is that with some creativity and flexibility, this problem could be solved. Is there the will to do so on the part of Trimet? They certainly don\’t stand to make more money by allowing more space for bikes. I noticed they are planning a fee increase. Does that have to go through an approval process? How about holding up the fee increase until Trimet can address this issue in a satisfactory way?
Combine this issue with the recent post about PDX making the top 5 bike theft list, (another solvable problem if the police cracked down on bike theft/fencing with more force) and there\’s a couple opportunities to make Portland more bike friendly that don\’t involve big expensive infrastructure, just attention and creativity.
Well, Tri-met\’s primary motive isn\’t profit – the fare contributes to their budget but it\’s not the full budget and they have to provide a service to keep the people in Salem happy.
And I think, yes, they will get more fares if more bicyclists can ride – as long as it\’s not crowding out other riders (which is, I think, the concern and a real concern – one bicyclist not driving is not morally superior to 5 or so pedestrians not driving).
Fares are going up because it takes fuel to make a bus go. They do not split fares for MAX and Bus (and in most cases, people think that\’s a pretty convenient thing, that your transfer takes you anywhere in the system) but it means they have to take in more money to keep purchasing deisel. It\’s still a much smaller increase that motorists are paying to fill their gas tanks.
Dahon has 20\” wheel folding bikes for $400-500. Not as nice as Brompton or Bike Friday, but more than good enough for a commuter.
I ride from Fairview (Gresham) to Portland everyday for work. I started out pedalling the 20 mile commute everyday, but after a while (and wear on my bike) it becomes necessary to take a break.
So, I bought a Dahon folding bike, and now I ride Max on and off, and I love it. To me, there is no clear cut solution to the Max/Bike issues here, there is only a need for individual change (because honestly, are YOU going to sit and wait for public transit to change, or are you going to make a change?)
Be more flexible, hey?
Maybe TriMet should get into the bicycle rental/sharing business like Deutsche Bahn does. Get off a train and take a bike.
creative idea: run more trains! GASP!
Regarding bikes on the MAX, I’ve wondered if you offset the aisle way from the center of the car to one side, removed the full height pole with the handholds, and ran the plexiglass partition across where the center aisle way is now, if there would be enough room for 3 official bike hooks in lieu of the one by each door that the cars have now. That might be a small bore way to gain a little extra bike capacity. Beyond that, I don’t see any good ways of getting more dedicated bike capacity. What might (or might not, I have not idea what kind of safety regs, ADA regs, etc that Trimet needs to deal with) be doable is to remove all of the hooks, seats, partitions, etc. between the stairs and where the car hinges in the middle and make that a general free for all space that could be occupied by bikes, wheelchairs, strollers, bags full of used cans, or whatever else people want to carry on. You could then fit a few more seats on the other half of the car where the wheelchair space and bike hooks would have been. You could also fit a lot of people standing in the open area which would be nice for times like Blazers games or parades when the MAX really gets full.
The sad thing is that even the new WES (commuter rail system to Wilsonville) will be limitted to only 4 bike space per train every 30 minutes. Sure wish Trimet would figure this stuff out!
A naive question – why do most folks put bikes on the train? Especially on the Yellow Line, that is a short line with relatively flat terrain. It seems a bike would be faster. Is it weather? Hills from the westside? Would more bike lockers at stations work?
Just trying to get a handle on what riders combine transit with bikes. I\’ve only used buses and because something broke off the bike.
What about a bike car only during peak periods?? If you build it, they will come!
Hey Allison #5, Bromptons start around $1K at Clever Cycles, not $2K — most popular configs are ~$1.3K. Not chump change, but still a fine value (disclosure: commercial interest, but i ride them too). Dahon makes some decent folders at much lower prices; see Coventry Cycle Works.
I\’ve never been much of a fan of mass-transit. It\’s one of the reasons I ride in the first place. When I say, \”…not a fan…\”, I only mean for me personally, as a user. Love the mass-transit as a concept. Just being clear. Support it all the way. But there is a different take. If you are riding out of an environmental commitment, it bears considering that buses and trains use resources that could be saved by sticking strictly to the cycle. To me, it\’s a bit like biking for the enviro, only to throw my recyclables into the garbage. Plus, maybe a citizen who CAN\’T bike, for whatever reason, then gets my seat, savvy?
Only until we can get cleaner \’tricklicity for them trains, that is! Then you can count me in!
Glad to see this is a priority for Tri-Met. That\’s a, \”My how times have changed.\”, thing any way you cut it.
I\’m a fan of bike rentals at Max stations. We could use bike rental stations all over the city, but seeing bike rentals work in other cities makes me wonder why it isn\’t here yet?!
Paul:
I use the Red or Blue Max line from Goose Hollow to Sunset TC every morning and the reverse every evening. My commute involves 3 miles of biking at one end and 3.5 miles at the other end. I\’m in decent shape, but if I had to pedal up over the hill every day, I don\’t think I\’d be all that pleasant to be around at work. My commute requires both my bike and the train. (I agree that it makes less sense on the Yellow line, but people may have their own reasons.)
I put my bike on the train for the segment of my commute – through the West Hills tunnel – where the train moves me faster than I can pedal. I commute from my home in inner NE PDX to my job in Hillsboro. If I bike all the way, it takes me 80-90 minutes each way. Without a bike, walk-bus-MAX-walk takes me 90 minutes. My bike-MAX-bike trip takes 50-60 minutes. I need my bike at both ends of the train ride so lockers at stations don\’t help me at all.
I\’ve seen as many as 20 bikes on a single MAX car. Riders are creative at stuffing bikes in. Anything goes as long as bikes don\’t block the aisles and yield to wheelchairs.
I had friends in Antwerp (in \’96) who kept bikes at both ends of the line (they rode an intercity train that didn\’t allow bikes). I think this might be a more common pattern in places where bikes are much cheaper and seen as interchangeable basic transportation.
My friends suffered frequent bike thefts, especially on the downtown end where the bikes sat outside all night. There were always bikes (probably stolen) for sale around Centraal station. They often found themselves buying the same bikes again, usually for less than $10 … \”oh I remember this blue bike, I should buy it again.\” In actual practice it was kind of a hybrid of bike rentals and yellowbikes.
I\’m with #19 & 20 above. It\’s a little difficult to ride over the Hills then work a 12.5 hour shift on my feet as a nurse…it just isn\’t going to happen. I guess I could use a bike box at the west end, but I work nights and am not too keen on leaving my bike overnight…even if it \”secured\”.
How about special bike trains between Beaverton TC and Goose Hollow during rush hour? That\’s where the majority of folks are riding MAX between, from my observations.
Most people I see ride the MAX have very cheap bikes, in very bad conditions. The folding bike idea is just a joke, even for the regular commuter it would make no sense to get a new bike so he can ride the train and plus do they really save space? Are they more MAX friendly? I have a folding tandem I should try to see how it works on the MAX I guess.
Busses too; I\’ve been turned away from the #96 (Downtown to Tualatin) a few times now with my bike. Though it wasn\’t much of a problem in the winter, when I really needed the bus as part of my commute. Once though, the driver let me carry it on and sit with it.
This is a tough problem to solve for sure, but worth the effort if we want to recruit more long distance commuters (10+ miles each way).
Folding bikes, no need for a hook, just fold and board.
I think bikes at both ends of the commute are fairly common in Europe. When we were in England we sat next to a nice guy on a crowded commuter train from Bath headed South. So crowded that we sat on the floor between trains next to the bathrooms. He told us he used to carry his bike on, but after having to wait for the next train too many times he bought an inexpensive used bike to keep at the work end of his commute.
Excellent bike parking facilities at each station would definitely make this more palatable. A Paris-like bike rental program would be another option for a bike at one end.
As for \’why bikes on the yellow line\’… Peeps in the Couv commute to the end of the line there. Some times it takes an hour, just to get there. So it sounds like a common theme is that the trains often play part 2, of a ride, max, ride commute.
I put my bike on the Yellow Line. I\’m not fast or fit enough to ride the whole way, esp. in the afternoon when it\’s warm – which is exactly when that train is most bike-crowded, so clearly I\’m not alone. And most of those other bike people look like me – decent bikes and gear but nothing fancy, reasonably good health but not hard-core athletes.
It bothers me that Trimet didn\’t even TRY, given the demand is clearly there. I guess there\’s nothing in it for them. But I also see \”too many bikes\” as a good problem to have. And I certainly don\’t HAVE to put my bike on the MAX. There are lots of choices between downtown and NoPo – unlike that Goose Hollow-Sunset stretch, where MAX is really the only good option for many.
I don\’t see either folding bikes or bike lockers as a solution by themselves. Bike lockers could be combined with bike rentals – I could leave my bike in a locker at one end, pick up a rental at the other and drop it off near my office. I still wouldn\’t have my bike for after work stuff though. Easiest for me is to quit riding and just do the ped/bus/max thing – but what fun would that be?
😀
Looking at the big picture, the problem ins\’t that people going from their homes in Portland to the jobs in Hillsboro can\’t get their bikes on public transit, the problem is that our communities are designed in such a way that people who live in Portland work in Hillsboro. I\’m not blaming individuals here. It\’s the way our culture is structured.
Working within the reality that we have, I agree with Nancy\’s idea of having a bike-only car. I suggest that one train an hour, and two an hour during peak hours, could have one car designed to hold only bikes. Yes, this would require running more trains. That\’s going to happen anyway. A bike-only car could probably hold around 30 bikes.
Which brings me to the issue of how much under capacity they really are. For every bicyclist who crams their bike onto a car that already has four other bikes on one end, I would bet there are five more bicyclists who don\’t consider MAX an option because it is so consistently over capacity. Taking surveys on the train won\’t reveal this. And for every bicyclist who doesn\’t consider bike-MAX a workable combination, there may be two non-cyclists who are non-cyclists because they don\’t consider it to be an option.
Finally, on folding bikes, Dahon makes a folder that sells for $170. If you gave me a $200 incentive, I\’d probably buy one. 🙂
Re: Folding Bikes
Two people in our office have and use them; one of those dual commutes using the Tri-Met bus to/through his neighborhood to avoid a hill or two. He has been refused access to the bus on a few occasions because a particular driver doesn\’t let him board with his Dahon [regardless of the number of people on the bus].
He won\’t comment to Tri-Met because the next bus will let him board no issues.
I say – just ride; that\’s what bikes are for.
Would it be feasible for each MAX train to include 1 car that is designed primarily for bikes. For example, could one car be reconfigured to allocate an entire half of the car for bike hooks, with the other half for passenger seating. Cyclists just board the cycle-friendly car, and normal riders board a normal car. Then the aggregate capacity of each train for bikes goes up to something like 40 or 50 bikes or something like that.
1- I put an Electra Amsterdam on the MAX from Goose Hollow to Sunset TC everyday; it\’s too long for the hook, so I HAVE to put it somewhere else.
2- If I didn\’t use my bike with the MAX, I would rarely use Trimet. WAYYYY too slow.
3- For the most part, people should not put their bikes on the MAX when only traveling downtown. You can go 219 times faster just riding your bike.
4- Putting the bike on the Yellow line saves a lot of time if you\’re going to Delta Park or the Expo center or something, but if you\’re going somewhere closer and it\’s not coming for over 8 minutes, riding is faster. For me, it\’s all about speed and efficiency.
I don\’t think Tri-Met is obligated to make more room for bikes. Its just not a very good use of space. I\’d rather see a train car that can carry say 50 people instead of 20 people and 20 bikes.
Andy- Santa Cruz Co. has recently introduced an incentive program for annual pass holders to get up to $300 ( I think) back on the purchase of a folder.
I think Tri-Met is considering doing this…
As far as a bus driver refusing access to the bus with a folder, well, there\’s one in every crowd.
Still, as for the train, I see folders as the most viable option.
Simple solution: REMOVE SEATS.
There is no good reason why at least half of each MAX car cannot be Bikes / Standing Room. Keep enough seats for the elderly and infirm. Keep an area for wheelchairs or strollers like the current set-up. The current number of seats actually creates less space, comfort, and safety for MAX riders. Check out the poor souls that have to cram themselves on at Sunset Transit each day during the morning rush. It\’s a contortionist show for those without bikes and the trains are just going to get more crowded as gas prices go up.
Dillion:
\”obligated\”? No. Should they? That\’s a completely different question.
We need to decide what the goal is and how best to reach it – if the goal is fewer cars on the road, increasing bike capacity on MAX (as long is it didn\’t decrease non-bike boardings) would do that.
\”It bothers me that Trimet didn\’t even TRY…\”
Oh come on. A more bike-friendly rail system in this country you will not find.
AdamR #32
The short answer is no. We\’re not talking about MAX cars that are half empty – we\’re talking at full capacity during peak hours. The non-peak hours aren\’t really a problem because the surplus bikes have standing room (even if it\’s less than optimal).
We don\’t have the standing room to give up to those bikes.
Yellow line, I think, it a bit different. I don\’t know how often it goes at capacity, but when I ride it it\’s most certainly *not* at capacity but the bike hooks are full and there\’s usually a few surplus bikes, too.
GLV:
Your point is well taken, but I don\’t think comparing Portland to other cities is helpful – we can be so much more.
Trimet\’s serving a big bike constituency. The facilities ought to reflect that.
First of all,
A comment above blatantly states that \”Tri-met\’s primary motive isn\’t profit – the fare contributes to their budget but it\’s not the full budget and they have to provide a service to keep the people in Salem happy.\”
If this was the the case (which it isn\’t) we would not have problems with overly crowded trains, bike storage, broken ticket machines etc. We would not have drivers so concerned with time frames and ridership that they will jeopardize the lives of cyclists and pedestrians alike. For that matter they would not employ at all, or would immediately and publicly review and fire or reprimand any driver that has, now or in the past, shown a single bit of disdain towards a vulnerable road user, whether this disdain was discovered through work ethic, or in statements to Tri Met or other drivers.
Tri Met is not about keeping the people in Portland happy. Tri Met is about fares, money and schedules, above and beyond the wants, needs, and safety of the public it is supposed to serve.
Also, it is horribly sad that, after designing and ordering a load of new trains (at like 7 million a car or something? I forget the number, I read it a while back), Tri Met\’s only real solution to this obvious problem is for people to switch to folding bikes.
How ludicrous is that?
It should be noted that there is plenty of agreement on that note here in these comments, interestingly enough, some by those who happen to sell folding bikes…
One last note..
The bike capacity of a large percentage of Train Trips is cut down by at least half, due to the fact that bicycles are not really allowed on the elevated deck trains. These elevated deck trains make up a large amount of the two car train trips. This fact has not really been referred to in any of the info I have come across, unless I happened to miss it.
Public transportation my A##.
Thank you, and have a good day.
Also,
I implore you to check out the bike hooks on the Hiawatha line in Minneapolis.
Much, much better design than we could even hope to have.
http://metrotransit.org/bike/index.asp
The Yellow Line is a boon for casual riders who are fine on the flats but aren\’t up to taking Interstate from bottom to top. Not everyone who bikes is a 20-mile commuter — it\’s a diverse community — but they\’re doing their part to reduce pollution and improve their health. No one should be shamed for using public transit to facilitate their bike commute, and public policy should be that we do whatever we can to encourage and support it.
I know that other light rail systems feature bike-specific cars, and would love to see Trimet experiment with an all-SRO carriage specially designed to roll bikes on/off. It\’s unfortunate that we\’re so committed as a culture to over-engineering things, because you know that no matter how no-frills such a car would be, the expense will be sufficient to incur at least one strike against it from the start. Honestly, if MAX could tow an old boxcar with a handrail welded around the inside, I\’d be satisfied, but I don\’t see it happening. More\’s the pity.
I find the generic enmity towards Trimet a bit puzzling. I had always felt non-car commuters had a sense of camraderie with each other.
Trimet is a government program and like every government program, it has its ups and down and problems to overcome, but over all it\’s an excellent transit system with one of the highest safety ratings in the country and indeed has set the bar for light rail safety as other cities have begun their own LRT networks.
I really like the trimet-to-bike multimodal possibilities – my boyfriend and I road the MAX to Gresham TC a few weeks back, biked to Dabney Park, and then bicycled home. This is a trip I\’ve only ever made by car before. Trimet increases my bicycle\’s range, sometimes gets me where I want to go faster than I can on two wheels and the bike gets me the rest of the way faster than my feet.
c #43
SECONDED
\”The bike capacity of a large percentage of Train Trips is cut down by at least half, due to…the elevated deck trains.\”
Not true. The 100 series trains comprise significantly less than half of the fleet, and once the 400s arrive, it will be an even smaller percentage.
\”I know that other light rail systems feature bike-specific cars\”
Where?
Keep in mind the alphabet-soup regulatory environment TriMet works in. Can\’t get rid of wheelchair spaces…ADA doesn\’t allow it. Can\’t tow around an old box car…it wouldn\’t meet FRA crash/safety requirements. Et cetera.
Running more trains isn\’t a viable option, either, because a) that costs money, and b) once the Green Line opens, the Steel Bridge bottleneck will be just about at capacity during rush hour.
The animosity toward TriMet is completely unfounded. We are very lucky we have what we do, given the size of this city. Let\’s not lose sight of that.
GLV,
You appear to work for Tri Met in some capacity, due to your intimate knowledge of the train numbers, design, etcetera. Not to mention your apparent undying need to defend a obviously flawed transportation system.
I, on the other hand, have an unbiased eye towards the goings on of Tri Met, and am fully aware that a lot of two car trains include one elevated deck car.
I was not quoting numbers, I was making an observation, due to actual trains I see.
The new cars you speak of will do nothing to help this bike problem.
The new cars will however give Tri Met a good excuse to spend a grotesque amount of funds on equipment not suited to the needs of the public. The same public that Tri Met relies partially upon to continue offering service.
They will also allow for more rate hikes, under the guise of economy/fuel costs
Also, to those of you touting a need for a bike only car…
If Tri Met won\’t take out a couple of seats per car to add more bike storage, what the hell makes you think they are going to produce bike only trains, then give up a whole car at rush hour to pull just bikes?
Pipe Dreams….
Wake up and smell the cat food (in your bank account) \”TMBG\”
Allison – TriMet is not a government program, it is a corporation.
Sorry if this is a repeat, but I got bored reading at #30.
Part of the problem is too many seats, poles and partitions. We should go to the english subway model of having the train seats (for the old and elderly) and the other half just open space with hangars from the ceiling that people grasp. This really opens up the space and increases the capacity.