Bikes get permanent spot on BART

Michael Cabanatuan

Updated 7:15 pm, Thursday, October 24, 2013

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  UC Berkeley student Sara Knox heads to school from the Embarcadero BART Station in San Francisco. 

Bikes, now temporary guests on BART during the commute, won a permanent place on the trains Thursday.

After three experiments with eliminating a commute-hour bicycle blackout- and much discussion - the BART Board of Directors voted unanimously to allow bikes aboard BART trains at all stations at all times.

The two-wheelers will still be prohibited from the first train car at all times, the first three cars during the most crowded hours of the morning and evening commutes, and from cars that are already crowded.

Bicycling advocates, who've fought for unfettered access to BART since the system opened in 1972, cheered the decision.

"The most bike-popular transit system in the country just got more bike-popular," said Dave Campbell, advocacy director for the East Bay Bicycle Coalition.

The policy officially takes effect Dec. 1, but since a six-month test of allowing bicycles on all trains at all times is in progress, the unrestricted access policy is already in effect.

Public comments Thursday on the proposed change drew mostly supporters, many of them members of bicycle advocacy groups or BART committees that have worked on the issue. The only public opposition came from Antonette Bryant, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1555, which represents station agents and train operat0rs.

Bryant criticized BART officials for not asking train operators and station agents for their concerns about the bike program. She said train operators need to be able to walk through trains in the event of emergencies or certain equipment failures and said bikes can get in the way.

"It could be problematic," she said.

She said many bicyclists also use escalators in violation of the rules and board already-crowded trains or enter cars from which they're supposed to be banned, but there's no enforcement, leaving employees to make announcements that are often ignored.

"No one is going to do anything about bikes on escalators," she said, "because there is no one to do anything."

Bike advocates acknowledged the bad behavior of some bicyclists but said the tests have been successful, provoking no major incidents, relatively few complaints and no train delays - all concerns when the experiments began in August 2012.

"I see a lot of people, bicyclists and non-bicyclists, being very mindful of each other," saidRenee Rivera, executive director of the East Bay Bicycle Coalition, which has been working with BART on bike etiquette signs and education efforts.

BART surveys using randomly selected riders found that 79 percent of those queried thought the current program - with the first three cars off limits during the commute hours, which are 7 to 9 a.m. and 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. - should be continued despite some problems.

BART Director Joe Keller of Pittsburg, who had been skeptical of removing the commute-hour bike ban, said he changed his mind not only after seeing the poll results but after riding trains in which people standing, hauling luggage, pushing strollers and walking bikes all managed to find places to sit or stand without causing conflict or congestion.

While the board voted to allow bikes on all trains, it called for a review of the policy as BART ridership grows, directed the transit agency's staff to meet with employees on safety and enforcement concerns, asked for more secure bike parking at stations so fewer people would need to take their bikes aboard and urged bigger, better signs explaining bike rules and etiquette.

Michael Cabanatuan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail:mcabanatuan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ctuan

FrankenBus

A new project. Two VW Eurovans. One weekender poptop with no transmission and a lot of rust. One hardtop with 7 passenger seating and an Audi engine. Eventually, one good camper

chet

Australian Bike for Everyday Cyclist

Australian Brand For The ‘Everyday Cyclist’ Wednesday, January 18, 2012 SYDNEY, Australia - Ortre is a solo endeavor of Sydney based Alex Liauw. Putting together the fun cycling, the professional skills of an industrial designer, and a desire to design and create ones own products. Ortre is aimed at the ‘everyday cyclists’. The new Australian brand draws inspiration from people who use their bicycles for transport, people who understand that cycling is convenient, economical and enjoyable.The first part of the project was to develop a line of cycling accessories like a pump, lock, and multi-tool. The second project was to design a ‘bicycle for making short trips with luggage.’In a seamless mash-up of Japanese Mini-velo style and traditional Porter Bike utility the Cinco5 was created. Described as a lightweight, urban, utility bike, it features a luggage rack forming as a continuation of the frames twin top tubes that can be configured with a basket or wooden carrier depending on the needs of the user.“With these products, and more to come, we hope to play a part in the future development of everyday cycling”, said Alex Liauw.

For more information please write, or look at www.ortre.com

Very Cool Parisian Bike

Chef and baker Nathalie Mallet of www.farinez-vous.com can deliver bread in this cool bike>

Brussels Sprouts -- Electric

Brussels Continues to Obstruct Bigger E-Bike Motors

BRUSSELS Belgium – It’s not finalized yet in new type-approval regulations, but as it stands now 25 km/h electric bicycles with more than 250Watt motors will remain subject to the type-approval for motorcycles. As a result, they will remain classified as mopeds and riders will have to wear a helmet and have insurance and a driver’s licence. If they would be excluded from type-approval, they would be classified as bicycles without all these obligations. The bigger motors would make electric bicycles more suitable for heavy duty usages by postal workers with heavy bags, other types of freight transportation on bicycles and for cycling in hilly and mountainous areas.

The European bicycle industry united in COLIBI/COLIPED associations as well as the one for cyclists, ECF, on the one hand and dealer association ETRA on the other, strongly disagree on new e-bike regulations.

The industry associations as well as the European Cyclist Federation (ECF) want to make sure that the market remains limited to bicycles with pedal assistance up to 25 km/h and a motor output limit of 250W. Both industry organizations are in favour of maintaining the current specifications as described in the Directive 2002/24/EC.
European TwoWheeler Retailers’ Association (ETRA) is lobbying the European Parliament for 3 main issues:

1. as for bicycles with a motor that assists up to 25 km/h irrespective of their motor output limit: exclusion from the type-approval for motorcycles and inclusion in the regulatory framework of Machinery Directive + EN 15194
2. as for bicycles and light electric vehicles with an electric motor that can propel the vehicle itself which do not weigh more than 25 kg: exclusion from the type-approval for motorcycles and inclusion in the regulatory framework of Machinery Directive + EN 15194
3. as for all other electric bicycles and light electric vehicles that will be included in the type-approval for motorcycles: requirements that are adapted and appropriate to these vehicles.

It looks like that the European Commission will obstruct the use of bigger motors for e-bikes that comply to the current ‘bicycle’ specifications as described in the Directive 2002/24/EC.

The European Commission is willing to allow motors with more than 250 Watt but only when they are included in the type-approval just like motorcycles. This regulation required a compulsory insurance, the wearing of a helmet, a licenses plate a specific technological requirements for brakes and saddles.