This post sourced from an email to the RTP_bike_ped list-serv [1] and reposted with permission, 4/17/08
Bikes on Buses Answers From Triangle Transit
Greetings-
Back in March, this list had a short discussion on Triangle Transit's
policy on bring bikes onboard buses. Sean had a few questions I
could not answer directly, and I said I would do research and return to
the list with an answer. Below are Sean's questions, followed by my
answers.
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Patrick -How is it that a bike that is tied down to one of the
wheelchair positions can become a projectile? and, Have you tested the
3-bike rack on the new buses? Why do other municipalities allow bikes on
the bus? I would really like to know the answers to these questions,
because the lack of capacity for bikes is what caused me to stop using
the transit system.- Sean
***********
First, I shared Sean's questions with Laurie Barrett, our Director of
Bus Operations. Here is her response, with added context by me [in hard
brackets]:
***********
"There have been no updates on the three bike rack. Gillig [manufacturer
of our new buses] will not purchase nor install them on their buses and
does not recommend that transit agencies do so. In addition, the three
bike rack we had, simply fell apart. I do not think it could support the
weight of three bikes.
Durham and Chapel Hill do not permit bikes on their buses for the same
reasons we do [not permit them]. Our wheelchair stations are not
designed to secure bikes. Wheelchairs are secured with a belt system not
a bar system (like the bike racks). I have seen in older buses a
securement bar (the old CAT buses use to have them) that is similar to
the bike racks but to my knowledge they stopped installing them because
of securement failures. All operators are trained on proper wheelchair
securement and know how to use the belt system. I question whether it
[the belt system] would stop the bike from falling over if there was a
hard or sudden stop."
***********
I will provide an additional information point in an effort to further
address Sean's question about other municipalities. Triangle Transit was
formerly insured through another entity, the NC League Of
Municipalities, I believe. When the period of insurance expired, we were
not given the opportunity to renew that insurance contract and had to go
into the private market for insurance, which significantly raised our
insurance costs. Larger municipalities or transit agencies have greater
budgets, longer operational histories and claim histories, which makes
it easier for them to obtain insurance, or even self-insure. At this
point I am speculating, but I imagine that bigger cities and transit
agencies may be able to be more liberal in regards to policies on
bike-on-bus issues due to their greater fiscal ability to manage risk by
self-insuring or pooling risk more broadly across dozens of city
departments.
At this point, I hope it is clear that the Triangle Transit policy only
allows bicycles onboard if they are bagged. That said, we remain aware
that many people would like to have a more convenient way to combine bus
and bicycle commuting, and we are trying to improve the synergy between
these modes wherever we can. Our testing of the 3-bike rack was one such
step, even though the rack failed. With the bicycle-carrying capacity of
our vehicles basically capped at 2 bikes per bus, our focus in
addressing this issue has moved from "Bike ON Bus" to "Bike TO Bus." In
previous years, we have only had $15,000-$20,000 available for all
amenities (shelters, benches, bike racks, etc) at bus stops throughout
the entire Triangle region. This year, we have budgeted $150,000, and I
believe over $27,000 of that money is targeted for bicycle lockers and
racks at stops. We currently have a bus stop improvement in progress at
the intersection of the American Tobacco Trail and Woodcroft Parkway in
Durham, which I believe will have some inverted U bike racks with a
concrete pad when complete, as well as a bus shelter.
I hope this addresses some of the additional questions that were raised
last week.
Thanks for reading,
--
Patrick McDonough, AICP
Senior Transportation Planner
Triangle Transit
[contact information omitted]
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www.triangletransit.org [2]