Rapid Network

Friends Annemarie and Scott are recent converts to cycling as serious transport. They've been meeting me at Lanesplitter's Pizza and such on their new bikes for a while now. Nevertheless, Annemarie still had some anxiety about taking her bike on the subway (e.g. BART - Bay Area Rapid Transit) to get to work. Among her questions:

When can you use the bike?
Where can you put the bike on the train?
How do you get it to the platform?

Given that the goal for this site is to encourage non-cyclists and cyclists alike to cycle more, I thought it would be good to post a primer for those who are considering biking to work but have some anxiety about showing up at the BART station uninitiated.

First thing is obviously to work out when bikes are allowed on BART. The answer is 'most of the time' for any line. The exception is basically any line that passes through downtown San Francisco during rush hour. This exception is, of course, a sad irony because it disallows bikes during the exact time of day that cycling could be most beneficial to car traffic. Nevertheless, that's the reality until BART's forthcoming makeover supports unlimited bike access. See the online BART schedule. It includes shaded times where bikes are disallowed. Check that out before you ride.

Assuming you are traveling in a direction or at a time at which bikes are permissible, the next task is to obtain a ticket. There are two options. One is to simply buy a ticket at a station kiosk like my friend Scott here. Cash, debit, or credit are accepted.

The other is to use TransLink. This system provides access to a number of transit systems around the San Francisco Bay Area and BART is now included.

There are different types of gates into the BART station. A wider one is for wheelchair access and bikes. Although all BART stations have these, not all BART station entrances do. If you find yourself at the wrong end of the station, you can walk your bike through the emergency door and then double back without your bike using your BART pass to get through a normal gate.

Quick side note (those with kickstands can skip this): While you're buying your ticket, it is tempting to lean your bike against a wall. This looks beautiful but is prone to bumping and falling.

The trick to leaning your bike against a wall is to have both the handlebars and the seat touching the wall. During the morning commute, this matters more than you might think. The worst is to be buying your ticket and hear a crash of your bike behind you and assorted mayhem.

Stairs are another little challenge. BART does not allow bikes on the escalators. It is a $200 fine if you are caught. That said, BART staff was very kind when I first offended.

The alternatives are walking your bike up the stairs, riding the elevator, or (if you're very lucky) using the new bike gutters that have been fitted on the stairs at some BART station.

Annemarie was definitely not digging the stairs so at the next stop we took the elevator.

Last but not least are the bike gutters on some, but not all, BART stairs. There is one at the San Francisco Mission Street station. It works like a charm in crowds, unlike the elevator. You don't have to be a body builder to get your bike up the stairs. Bike gutters are the best and, sadly, the scarcest option. Hopefully, more of these are on the way soon.

Once you've made it to the platform the next thing to watch out for is which car to get into. You can get on any car except the first one. The only exception is to avoid crowds. The rules are on the BART website. Some cars have a seat with a bike space near the door much like the wheelchair spaces. I try to use either of these so people don't have to walk around my bike much. Obviously, you need to move if a wheelchair needs the space.

Once you've arrived at your destination, you've obviously got to walk your bike downstairs. A lot of folks hoist the bike over their shoulder to go down as well as up, but this is really not necessary.

You can simply grab your bike around the seat post and let it roll down the stairs. Doing this is easier and less prone to bumping others on the stairs in a crowd, so it is my favorite.

After their maiden voyage on BART, Scott and Annemarie turn their focus to more important things.