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getting better bike access on Amtrak - lobbying effort

We've had a number of previous threads where people have asked about other people's experiences with taking bikes on Amtrak. We've heard about the limitations of their policies, which rule out the possibility of taking bikes to many destinations, except folding bikes.

Now that stimulus funds are bringing high speed rail closer to being a reality, who's up for a lobbying campaign to help make better bike access a reality? We should work on our state AND federal legislators to sell the idea that improving bike access could significantly increase regional and long distance train ridership AND promote a more sustainable means of long distance travel. Seems like Midwest High Speed Rail could be a natural ally. Gotta make a call about that. Who's in?

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Permalink Reply by jen on November 29, 2011 at 10:32pm

Joe glad you had a good trip! I like the photo of my friend Rick closing your bike box. Next time your in the station stop by ticket window 12 and say hi!

Permalink Reply by h' Zerocats on November 30, 2011 at 12:21am

So much for stimulus money. Interesting  that  this was bounced the week Amtrak has to dole out a round of layoffs due to lack of funding.

Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on November 30, 2011 at 10:55am

Glad to hear that the trip worked out well.

Joe TV said:

I've just returned from a trip to NYC with my bike and the service with Amtrak was very convenient.  The cost was $20 each way, which included a box.  Handlebars must be turned sideways, and although the rules state that pedals must be removed, I was able to squeeze my steed into the box with pedals attached.  Even had some help from some of the baggage folks at Union Station, who also had a toolbox available for the modifications.  Baggage, including bikes, must be checked 30 minutes prior to departure.  A very positive experience overall!  Thanks Amtrak!


 

Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on November 30, 2011 at 10:55am

Discouraging news.  It's a good reason to keep lobbying our legislators in favor of continued Amtrak funding.

h' said:

So much for stimulus money. Interesting  that  this was bounced the week Amtrak has to dole out a round of layoffs due to lack of funding.

Permalink Reply by jen on November 30, 2011 at 3:15pm
Not sure where you get your information from but Amtrak has not done any layoffs.
Permalink Reply by Cycle Collective on November 30, 2011 at 3:48pm

IL -> MI Amtrak trains (Blue water and Wolverine) are supposed to start roll-on service at some point, I think spring 2012 : http://www.m-bike.org/blog/2011/04/28/amtrak-aiming-for-roll-on-bic...

 

http://www.stevencanplan.com/tag/bike-to-transit/

Permalink Reply by h' Zerocats on November 30, 2011 at 4:21pm

They are hoping that enough people will retire voluntarily that they won't have to. Playing out this week.

jen said:

Not sure where you get your information from but Amtrak has not done any layoffs.
Permalink Reply by jen on November 30, 2011 at 6:05pm
They have offered buy outs to non argeement employees only . The majority of workers at Amtrak are union employees and most off our departments are understaffed as it is. They really can't start layoffs anytime soon.
Permalink Reply by Steven Vance on December 2, 2011 at 2:32pm

In April 2011, the states of Illinois, Michigan, Missouri and Wisconsin applied for over $800 million in funding to collectively purchase new locomotives and train cars. In the application, the type or design of the cars was not described except to say how many would be regular class and how many would be business class. The application.

The project is called "Illinois next generation pooled equipment procurement".

In August 2011, Ray LaHood announced that the states will get $268,201,084 for 7 locomotives and 48 bi-level rail cars. The announcement.

Permalink Reply by Bob Kastigar on December 2, 2011 at 2:44pm

On the Illinois Amtrak carry-on trains I've run into a woman conductor who insists that you have to remove the wheels to carry on the bicycle.  There's nothing about this in their instructions or on their website, but just be warned in case you run into her on a trip. In both cases I got her name and filed a complaint.  Amtrak's rules, however, do give the conductors full discretion.

 

All of the other conductors are very friendly and accommodating.  On the carry-on trains it does help to have a bungee cord tho there isn't any really convenient place, except a vent, to use.

Permalink Reply by jz on December 4, 2011 at 4:26pm
Anne, thanks for this timely post. I raised this very issue during the last annual meeting of the Midwest HSR Association and had a follow-up email exchange which I've included below.
Email from me to Joe Shacter, Director of Public and Intermodal Transportation, Illinois Dept. of Transportation:
Thanks again for your great presentation. One of my only
disappointments would be the inability to roll-on, roll-off bicycles
for regional services in Illinois and to Milwaukee and Michigan. I
enjoyed that flexibility in southern California and Europe (and
currently enjoy it during non-peak Metra trains).
Recognizing your comments about
the restrictions on equipment, the best example of an Amtrak line
using roll-on, roll-off regional bicycle service is the Pacific
Surfliner coaches called the "California Surfliners".
http://goo.gl/Ucyqj As you can see in that link, they have a specific
rack area for bicycles. The Cascades service also have onboard bike
racks if you were looking at Talgo stock.  MBTA in Boston and VTA in
Silicon Valley have something similar on their commuter rail lines
http://goo.gl/0rybc http://goo.gl/2jevN

Pacific Surfliner requires a reservation and a small fee, although if
there's a way to adapt a baggage car, it could become a high-capacity
bicycle car for the summer months. Would be able to accommodate
cycling groups as well.
Cheers,
Joe Z
Joe, thanks for the notes.  Having the capability to accept roll-on,
roll-off bikes depends on the equipment we're using.  The current
Midwest Amtrak equipment is, as I mentioned Saturday, decades-old and
probably could not be adapted to permit what you're proposing.  I have
copied Amtrak's Derrick James on this question, though.

I've also copied our deputy director for railroads, George Weber,
because he is leading the effort to bring new equipment to our Illinois
routes.  We'll look into whether or not the racks to which you refer
could be one of the features we ask prospective equipment manufacturers
to include.

Take care.

Joe Shacter
Director of Public and Intermodal Transportation
Illinois Dept. of Transportation
Joe,

Thanks so much for your quick response. It's exciting just to know
that you guys are considering this because it's definitely part of a
holistic approach to transportation planning.

Honestly, if you throw an older baggage car on the back of a regional
line, I know plenty of cyclists who would be happy to drop their
bicycles in there and strap it to wall or something - without the need
for formal racks. That's what they do in Ireland and it works quite
well.

Cheers
Hello Joe Z.

As Mr. Shacter mentioned, Amtrak coaches in the Midwest were deleivers in the 1980s and not designed to accommodatebicycles.  You mentioned several successful models in California and elsewhere. In those locations, new passenger cars were purchased according to designs that allowed safe and easy transport of customers and their bicycles.

Amtrak operates four service routes under contract for the state of Illinois, and with their assistance, we implemented a feature allowing a limited number of bicycles per train to be carried on three of the four routes; Chicago-Galesburg-Macomb-Quincy; Chicago-Normal-Springfield-Alton-St. Louis; and Chicago-Champaign-Mattoon (Charleston)-Carbondale.  Space for bikes can be reserved at a small charge either by calling 1-800-USA-RAIL or at Amtrak.com. Customers must carry their bicycles up the trains' stairs and lift them into the overhead luggage storage rack.

As trains between Chicago and Milwaukee can be more crowded, leaving little space for safe bike storage, bicycles can be checked as baggage.  On longer distance transcontinental coach and sleeper trains, bicycles may be checked as baggage to major stations.

Illinois, Wisconsin, Missouri and Michigan have made application for Federal rail funds to purchase a new fleet of passenger train coaches to equip routes to those states from Chicago. My understanding is that should these states be awarded funds, an order for coaches will be placed and those coaches will allow for more and easier bicycle carriage.

Thanks for your interest, as an avid cyclist, I certainly understand the synergies that are possible between trains, bicycles, and transit, and how realizing this potential makes for healthier, livable communities.

Regards,

Derrick L. James
Director, Government Affairs - Central
Amtrak

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