Don't forget the Metro Bike/Ped Workshop this Wednesday

Dr. Gridlock writes about the upcoming Metro workshop with some discouraging news.

It won't be doing one of the things often requested by cyclists: Allowing bikes on the trains during rush hours. No room, Metro says. But it has other options. There's plenty of room for improvement on bike storage at the stations, and that's another topic I often hear about from readers.

His commenter did make me add one item to my list.I've heard of no problems with VRE's pilot program.

More bike lockers - there should rarely (dare we say never?) be a waiting list. If more cyclists want lockers, then install more lockers. And, add a few large lockers capable of storing recumbents, recumbent trikes and other odd sized bikes.

Metro's press release has more details:

Metro planners are conducting a bicycle and pedestrian study this year to evaluate existing and projected bicycle and pedestrian demand and access to stations, and propose facilities to improve bicycle storage, such as key swipe-card entry bicycle cages in parking lots and double-deck parking for bicycles, as well as to identify “walk gaps” within ½ mile of stations.

“Metro doesn’t allow bicycles on Metrorail during rush hours because we don’t have the capacity for them during those busy times of day,” said Nat Bottigheimer, Metro’s Assistant General Manager of Planning and Joint Development. “We want the public’s help to identify opportunities for better accommodating cyclists at Metrorail stations, whether at the beginning or end of their trip. We welcome any suggestions for how we can do that.”

Earlier this year, Metro began replacing 350 old bicycle racks and installing an additional 300 new racks at Metrorail stations throughout the system as part of an effort to accommodate more cyclists who are using the Metrorail and Metrobus system.

Between 2002 and 2007, the number of cyclists biking to a rail station during the morning rush hours increased 60 percent to 1,550. With changes in land use, higher gas prices and constraints on parking, that number is expected to rise significantly during the next 25 years.

Metro has identified $45 million in bicycle and pedestrian improvements between 2011 and 2020 as part of its capital needs inventory, with investments focused on maintaining existing bicycle facilities, increasing bicycle parking capacity and improving connections to stations from local communities.

Top 10 Metrorail stations accessed by bicyclists during weekday morning rush hours:
1. East Falls Church
2. Forest Glen
3. Medical Center
4. West Hyattsville
5. Dunn Loring
6. Braddock Road
7. Van Dorn Street
8. Rockville
9. Woodley Park-Zoo/Adams Morgan
10. Bethesda

Comments

[SteveH]

The top 10 list doesn't seem accurate. The Takoma station doesn't have a parking garage and has a very large contingent of bicyclists and pedestrians. I would be suprised if it's not actually in the top 5.

[Catherine]

steve, seems pretty accurate to me. have you ever been to those other metro stations? those metro stations have one major thing in common (to me): they are surrounded by a lot of really popular and highly populated residential areas that are in the weird middle ground of "close enough to be 'near metro' but far enough that you need to take a bus or a long, time wasting walk". bikes are the perfect solution to that problem!

also, just a general comment about dr. gridlock---what is WITH providing every cyclist hater a mouthpiece to blather on about Lance wannabes and "get off my road you &#($)"? they pick and chose which comments and questions get "air time", and honestly seeing the "cyclists suck" line get chosen every week (and not really addressed by dr, gridlock except to say "i see why you're frustrated") is getting old.