BART and its union have agreed to extend the current contract thru October 10. Until then, bikes are allowed on board and please be courteous, following the rules below. And share your experiences with us on Facebook and Twitter. Get more info at 511.org as it becomes available.
Starting July 1, EBBC members have been enjoying the freedom to plan their daily commutes according to their own schedules. For EBBC member Doria Robinson of Richmond, good bicycle access on BART is all about her kids.
“The end of the BART blackout takes away a lot of my stress and worry about getting stuck at work away from my kids, allowing me to make it to meetings in the City when I need to and keep my kids in the day care center they enjoy in Richmond,” said Robinson, the mother of two and the Executive Director of Urban Tilth. “Because I bike and BART so often, I felt it wa
s important to attend the BART board meeting in May to speak up about the ban – it was the first time I really spoke out about my love of cycling and for my need for transit systems to accommodate cyclists.”
Here are all the rules and info you need to know from BART.gov.
- Bikes are welcome on all trains but never in the first car or any crowded car.
- During commute hours (7:00 to 9:00 am and 4:30 to 6:30 pm.) bikes are not allowed in the first three cars of any train.
- Regardless of any other rule, bikes are never allowed on crowded cars. Use your good judgment and only board cars that can comfortably accommodate you and your bicycle.
- Folded bikes are allowed on the trains at all times.
- Hold your bike while on the trains.
- Bicyclists must use elevator or stairs, not escalators, and must always walk bikes.
- Bicyclists must yield priority seating to seniors and people with disabilities, yield to other passengers, and not block aisles or doors or soil seats.
- In case of an evacuation, leave your bike on the train and do not let it block aisles or doors.
- Bicyclists under 14 years old must be accompanied by an adult.
- Gas powered vehicles are never permitted.
- Bikes must be parked in racks and lockers. Bikes parked against poles, fences or railings will be removed.
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If a car is crowded, board the next car or wait for the next train;
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Keep aisles and doorways clear by leaning your bike against the wall. Stack bikes to conserve space and be thoughtful how you lean your bike against another bike;
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Take care to keep your bike from bumping into other people;
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Be ready to exit before your stop arrives to keep trains on time;
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Be especially courteous and respectful to other passengers;
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It is OK to board a car that is not crowded, only to watch it become crowded down the line. Be ready to exit as the train approaches your stop and announce to nearby passengers that you need to move to the exit. Try to get near the door before the train stops so that you can exit before other commuters board the car;
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Make an effort to be a ‘bike ambassador’ and if you see someone unaware of these rules, interject yourself and let them know that you need their support in order to ensure your bike commute is a bike-accompanied as possible.
BIKES on BART Update May 23, 2103: BART Directors lift usual “bike blackout” for July 1-December 1, opening up more Bay Area access by bike than ever before.
Check out KTVU.com’s story on the news
OAKLAND—On Thursday night, BART Board of Directors voted to hold a five-month trial, allowing bicycles on trains during all hours of the day, and removing a key obstacle to regional travel by bike. The five month lift of the “bike blackout” will run July 1-December 1. “Today’s BART decision is a momentous occasion. For years people on both sides of the Bay have had to contort their lives simply because they needed to take a bike on BART but couldn’t during commute times. We commend BART for taking the smart steps toward opening up regional travel by bike,” says Leah Shahum, Executive Director of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, which has worked alongside BART and the East Bay Bicycle Coalition for years to increase access for bicycles on BART. “This common sense policy change will be a huge benefit for commuters.The current rules, which vary by BART line and time, will now be more easily understood by everyone,” says Renee Rivera, Executive Director of the East Bay Bicycle Coalition, which has been working with the SF Bicycle Coalition to remove the bike blackout. Thursday’s BART vote comes after two successful pilots: Fridays in August and a weeklong March pilot. After the most recent pilot in March, a survey of BART riders showed 77% in support of eliminating the bike blackout period.
Ending the bike blackout will dramatically lessen many peoples’ commute times, allowing them to spend more time with their families. 500 people on both sides of the Bay sent in letters of support for lifting the ban, and spoke up at the Thursday night Board of Directors meeting. “Currently, my total round trip travel time adds up to over 3 hours for a round trip that is only 13 miles each way! Sadly, that leaves me no time for my elderly mother. Instead of getting to her house late and suffering a very late return to SF, I resort to driving a car. Worse yet, many times I have to forego making the trip at all due to costs in time, money and discomfort,” said Bonnie Williamson, who commutes between San Francisco and Oakland. “Lifting the ban would give me much greater options in travel hours and allow me to see my wife and son in the morning before rushing off to work or ending up having to drive, and it is a horrible commute by car even on the best of days. I love mornings I can take BART,” Bret Stastny, who commutes between San Francisco to San Ramon.
You can help make the pilot a success starting July 1, 2013 by following these simple rules:
- Get ready to use the BART system at all hours of operation, and this includes the 19th St and 12th St stations in downtown Oakland;
- Board only if there is ample room for you and your bike. If a car is crowded, board the next car or wait for the next train;
- Bikes are not allowed in the 1st car of a train, commute hours or not;
- During commute hours, avoid boarding the first 3 cars of a train, they are for passengers without bikes;
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Keep aisles and doorways clear by leaning your bike against the wall. Stack bikes to conserve space and be thoughtful how you lean your bike against another bike;
-
Take care to keep your bike from bumping into other people;
-
Yield seats to the elderly and disabled;
-
Be ready to exit before your stop arrives to keep trains on time;
-
Be especially courteous and respectful to other passengers;
-
It is OK to board a car that is not crowded, only to watch it become crowded down the line. Be ready to exit as the train approaches your stop and announce to nearby passengers that you need to move to the exit. Try to get near the door before the train stops so that you can exit before other commuters board the car;
-
Make an effort to be a ‘bike ambassador’ and if you see someone unaware of these rules, interject yourself and let them know that you need their support in order to ensure your bike commute is a bike-accompanied as possible.
Check www.bart.gov/bikes for a full set of official bike rules, both current and starting July 1.
“Because of the rush hour bike blackouts, I eventually broke down and bought a car to safely get to and from BART as a woman,” says Mira Luna, who commutes between San Francisco and Oakland. This was after I was robbed walking home from BART at night after work. I am trying to transition back to a bike and BART lifestyle and lifting the blackouts will help immensely in getting women safely to and from the stations, as walking can be very dangerous at night in many parts of Oakland and some parts of San Francisco. “If the rush-hour limits were lifted from BART, I’d feel much safer biking to class at night, and it’d save me so much time going to and from the station. The trains have never felt overly crowded when I BART down the Peninsula at that hour, and I’m sure we will all play our part to make sure both riders and bikers feel safe and respected on BART,” said Tiffany Ng, who commutes from San Francisco to San Bruno.
BART is following the lead of other major cities in removing restrictions to integrating bikes and public transit. New York City, which has nearly 5 million transit trips per day, allows bikes on board its subway lines at all times. When BART opened in 1972, bicycles were not permitted at all. A few years later, the rules were relaxed – but still required riders to carry a permit. In 1997, thanks to the advocacy of the San Francisco and East Bay Bicycle Coalitions, BART Board of Directors voted to end the permits. Removing the long-time rush-hour bike ban is the final restriction to bicycle access. On Thursday, the BART Board of Directors voted to end the Rush-Hour prohibition for a five-month trial, but bicycles will still be prohibited in crowded cars, escalators and on the first three cars of the train. Bicycle parking will be available at many BART Stations for those riders who do not need their bicycle at the other end of the trip, and BART is continuing to modify cars to create more space for people with bicycles, strollers, and luggage – and improve access for people in wheelchairs.