At long last the Metro North cars will have a place to store bicycles. This is a huge step in the right direction. Much respect to ECCer Jason Stockman as well as Richard Stowe of RailTEC for all the hard work they did to make this happen. I'm sure I'm forgetting a number of people and groups, so to all of you who spent your time and energy to bring this about, I tip my hat.
The Connecticut Department of Transportation and Metro-North Railroad
are pleased to invite you to try out the recently installed bicycle
hooks now being tested on a pair of M7 rail cars. They will be on
display in Grand Central Terminal on Tuesday, January 6, 2009, from
12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. Bring your bicycle and try the hook.
The newly installed bicycle hooks are being testing for intended use
on the new M-8 rail cars soon to be delivered for the New Haven
Line. The Department is seeking feedback from the cycling community
in its effort to safely and efficiently accommodate bicycles on
trains. The track assignment will be sent to you early next year.
We look forward to seeing you there.
Very truly yours,
Eugene Colonese
Rail Administrator
(203) 789-7189
For those of you wondering why enabling cyclists to bring their bike on the train with them is so important, take a look at yesterday's post.
Now that the Metro North cars will be able to easily and efficiently carry bikes, the next step is to get Metro North to do away with the myriad restrictions it places on anyone who wants to bring their bicycle on the train. Check out their byzantine policy here. My favorite is condition C, which basically says that you can bring your bike on the train, except of course when any Metro North employee decides you can't.
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I have blogged a bit about the mass transit, and I don't see my own stance as being anti-bike at all. Perhaps people might assume that light-rail, busway, etc. users would be driving to some location, but my own assumption is that biking or walking would be involved. I live within walking and biking distance of bus stops and Hartford's Union Station. I understand your defensive tone, but I don't think that everyone discussing this issue has in mind that more people would be driving to commuter lots.
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