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Bike racks on buses: Simple, inexpensive way to reduce crowding on NYC subways
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Mayor Bloomberg has recently expressed his disdain over cyclists bringing their bikes aboard the subway. Reactions among citizens varied; some agreed with the Mayor, citing lack of space (especially during rush hours) and annoyance with cyclists in general. Cycling advocates were quick to point out MTA rules permitting bicycles on board, frequent sightings of double-wide strollers that take up more space than cycles, and common sense judging the practicality of bringing the bike on the train.
If the mayor and the city truly find this to be a nuisance as much as bikers think it's a pain to bring their ride on a crowded subway full of surly rush hour commuters, there is an alternative that New York City ranks dead last in providing to their citizens: bike racks on buses.
Chicago, Seattle, Detroit, Cedar Rapids, London, St. Louis, and California have them—and California is even lobbying for more bike storage space. New York is one of the four cities out of fifty with comparable public transit systems surveyed by the Alliance for Biking and Walking (formerly the Thunderhead Alliance) that have no bike racks on buses. Half of NJ Transit buses have bike storage either via rack or in an underneath storage compartment. Copenhagen and Taipei have even one-upped us with bike racks on taxis.
Bike racks are affixed to the front of the bus and can hold two bicycles of standard size (no tandems, three-wheels, electric-assist, etc). According to a report compiled by the Alliance, bus bike rack maintenance costs one agency one-quarter of 1% of their budget, while another reports costs of $50-100 per rack. The Arizona DOT reported that each bike rack new cost $300, and have a fleet of the same buses as in New York City. Delays were reported as minimal, and many transit websites offer instructional videos and pictorials aiding cyclists in securing their bicycles.
The MTA will be receiving 850 new hybrid buses in order to replace many 12-to-15-year-old ones in their fleet which are being retired. The city ought to do us a favor, go the extra mile and affix the new ones with bike racks as well. If officials and citizens are going to complain about bikes taking up too much room on the subway, implementing an alternate solution to the problem is much more productive. At the very least, install them on bus routes which go across bridges that do not have pedestrian/cycle paths, such as the Verrazano or the Goethals.
In 1991, Transportation Alternatives lobbied for racks on the M109 bus that ran between Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and Delancey Street in Manhattan during the repair of the Williamsburg Bridge's bike path, but was ignored by Transit Authority. The special service QBx1 bus used to provide bicycle rack service across the Bronx-Whitestone Bridge, but when the MTA absorbed the Queens Surface Corporation, the racks were discarded.
Racks on buses are a low-cost way enable riders to cover a greater distance by integrating public transit and cycling, and will decrease the necessity for personal vehicles in the city as alternative transit ridership would increase with this economical service. It will also silence grumbling from subway commuters (and Mayor Bloomberg) if cyclists had a convenient alternative to bringing their bikes along in case of inclement weather, injury, need for repair, non-biking companions, distance, or fatigue.
Further reading: Bike Racks on Buses Update from City of Milwaukee
Verrazano Pedestrian/Bicycle Access
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