SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — Caltrain is hitting the brakes on planned bike restrictions after backlash from commuters.
With ridership rebounding, the transit agency had previously planned to free up space on trains by banning certain kinds of bikes.
For Caltrain rider Tim Oey, the transit agency’s proposed rules are anything but popular.
“I was aghast because I love taking Caltrain,” he said.
Oey commutes on Caltrain almost every day, but says if the ban on certain types of bikes and accessories goes through, he’ll be forced to stop using it.
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“At both ends of Caltrain, you’ve got to get to your final destination,” he said. “All the spots are not right next to Caltrain, especially down here in Silicon Valley where I live, things are spread out.”
Caltrain wants to ban cargo bikes, oversized bikes and bikes with attachments, including child seats. The transit agency says many of the rules getting pushback aren’t actually new.
A spokesperson tells ABC7 Eyewitness News they’ve been in place for a while, they just haven’t been enforced since before the pandemic.
But Oey isn’t alone in his feelings.
Several cycling advocates and community groups have come out against the enforcement of these regulations. So much so that the agency says they’re postponing the adoption date in order to hear more from the community.
The rules were supposed to go into effect March 23.
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“We want to find a solution that works for the largest number of people and is considered fair,” Caltrain spokesperson Randol White said.
For people like Oey, the solution is simple.
“We need more space on the trains so that even more bicyclists can take their bikes on Caltrain all the time,” he said.
But Caltrain says it isn’t always that easy.
“The platforms that take Caltrain are only so long. So, we really can’t add extra cars to the existing train sets. And so our goal is to get as many bikes on as possible,” White said.
Caltrain says after getting community input, a detailed process will take place to figure out how to move forward.
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