SFist: Bikes Get Priority Seating On Bart?

izzyizzy

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 15:57:29 -0800

i reverse commute with my bike every day, and these things don't even work. if there is more than one bike, which there inevitably is, the bikes just roll around and lean precariously over when the driver brakes hard on the way into a station. so i end up jumping up at every stop and grabbing onto my bike. i'm all for vertical racks, so i can stop worrying and take my bart-naps again.

fizzandpop

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 09:40:59 -0800

The seats flip up to make a sweet ramp for doing jumps.

grumblor

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 09:13:13 -0800

What you can't see in the picture is that the seats facing the designated bike area flip up to make room, just like wheelchair area seats flip up. So it is not wildly improbable that riders would have to give up their seats to make room for the bikes.

fizzandpop

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 18:44:00 -0800

Well if history is anything to go by, the next style to be recycled will be the mid-eighties casual style (lots of Farrah pants, Pringle, Lyle&Scott, and Lacoste). Expect the "Urban Casual" to be the next hipster.

Generic

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 18:12:46 -0800

there are much better targets than hipsters. au contraire. those other groups you mentioned are pretty low-hanging fruit. there's never going to be a better target o' snark than sf hipsters. not until there's another group making such a hilarious show of rejecting, yet embracing, conformity. even the douchebag phenomenon falls way short of that mark. i'm happy to switch up, but i ain't gonna downgrade. what else you got?

zippy_monster

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 18:05:20 -0800

Oznog: aren't fixies a disability?

travin

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 17:43:00 -0800

last 40+ years, that should read - damned keyboard.

travin

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 17:42:23 -0800

ok, folks. it's just a simple graphic design. If you notice, most signage of bikes are this simple or simpler. Here's a google search to prove the point: http://tinyurl.com/5eeum5 Unless you want to accuse the department of transportation for being hipsters for the last 4 years, ya'll is tryin to think WAY too much.

bluecanary

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 17:41:38 -0800

Ha. Tuckermax defines the word douchebag. As for the hipster hate, I am all for random hatred, but hating hipsters seems a little last week. Isn't there someone new we can hate? How about the wealthy men in the Financial District, wearing horribly cut, cheap suits with high water pants. Let's hate them for a while. Or pudgy women who wear clingy outfits sans Spanx. If we're doing fashion hate, there are much better targets than hipsters.

Oznog

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 16:24:57 -0800

It stands for "American's with Disabilities Act", but I agree that it could be more useful. For instance, the Niners and Raiders look to be somewhat ADA this year.

fizzandpop

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 16:19:27 -0800

ADA? Love it! I'm going to start referring to people/places/ideas/sports teams/fashions as being "...a bit ADA" from now on.

suggestible

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 16:16:23 -0800

This doesn't take away from handicapped riders because there are ADA seats/spaces on the other side of the doors. Voila. Problem solved. Quit bitching.

zippy_monster

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 16:07:52 -0800

I don't understand how this takes away from handicapped riders. It's an indignity to everyone, handycapable or not. To subject us to the horrors that are fixies is just atrocious. Heh.

Oznog

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 15:58:32 -0800

I understand what your saying, hudu, but some sort of compromise has to be reached. If people are serious about getting cars off the road (for environmental, quality of life, and many other reasons), then bikes and BART should go hand in hand. CalTrain has specialized 'bike cars' at the rear of every train, and it would be nice if there was the money/will to institute something similar on BART.

diction

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 15:54:48 -0800

@generic you could whip out a sharpie and add some brakes and gears to the fixie if you're feeling left out.. but no need to hate on fixies just cause you need a little help going up hills.

jlantsberger

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 15:49:01 -0800

I don't understand how this takes away from handicapped riders. When have you ever seen more than one hadicapped person on a train? I never have. And that aside, I doubt every car in a train would have this bike spot. Even if every car did, I'm sure one door to the car would be for bikes and one for hadicapped riders.

hudu

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 15:25:01 -0800

I'm all for vertical bike racks in the back of certain cars on BART, but when you have 7-8 people on the train with bikes, it doesn't matter if they have a little area to stand in, they're still inevitably blocking the doors and making everyone else's commute harder and more uncomfortable. Bikes need to be the lowest-priority objects on the train, and understand that they take up as much space as 3-4 people, so when the train is getting full don't get on.

what

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 15:21:07 -0800

"I don't see how making space for one bike on select cars helps anyone, especially the handicapped who've now lost that space." They'll get their proper respect once they stop hogging the sidewalks, and start using the bike lanes where they belong!

jonno_norton

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 15:06:18 -0800

I don't see how making space for one bike on select cars helps anyone, especially the handicapped who've now lost that space. Terrible solution, they need to just designate the back car and install space-saving bike racks and less seating space.

celebrihater

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 15:01:03 -0800

Maybe BART's marketing team is trying to leverage BART's brand equity by thinking outside the box and using the image of a fixie to lure in a younger demographic???? I think this is a step in the right direction. It's taken BART a really long time to be more accommodating to cyclist. I used to commute to the east bay everyday and hated the way BART treats cyclists with all of their restrictions. Then I started using the Caltrans bike shuttle and I didn't have to hate anymore.

arlette

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 14:42:10 -0800

YAY! What a great idea! Most of the people I see with bikes on BART (myself included) have already figured out that the spot by the door is the best place for a bike. Maybe this sign will clue in the clueless, and keep non-bike riders from standing squarely in this spot and staring balefully at the bikes bumping against their shins on trains with plenty of open seats. I don't think anyone was prepared for the sudden surge in ridership. It'll be a while until we get it smoothed out. In the meantime, this is a step in the right direction ...

KatyG

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 14:26:13 -0800

imonster, fat chicks like me do not, and will not ever, ride bikes. We started taking the bus when gas hit $3/gallon. fizz, how can I thank you? I have someone to hate not only because he is an asshole, but also because he is a pain in the ass. Wow.

IMonster

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 14:10:18 -0800

Makes sense to give the bikes a specific place to be.. but Portland actually gives the bikes a space in the back with hangers so more can actually fit, and they're out of the way.......... HOWEVER.. Replacing the handicapped/elderly seating with bike parking makes zero sense at all.. for either party. Quit all the bike hate folks.... if gas prices keep going up, more and more of you will find yourselves on two wheels (and learning how big of a pain in the ass it can be in the bay area)

fizzandpop

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 14:10:12 -0800

The hipster hate is fun. But if you want to step it up a notch, you've got to hate this guy more: tuckermax.com

Brock Keeling

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 14:09:05 -0800

skinny pants are not really exclusive to hipsters. like hemlines and hair lengths, sizes will (and must) increase and decrease over a certain amount of time.

allergic

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 14:06:40 -0800

Have you been to Portland? Hanging bike racks inside every streetcar. Keeping bikes to one space makes sense and makes the train less of an obstacle course for everyone.

Generic

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 14:06:00 -0800

Agreed, KatyG. ―po·seur ― Pronunciation: \pō-ˈzər, ˈpō-zər\ noun Definition: One who affects some behaviour, style, attitude or other condition, often to impress or influence others. Etymology: French, literally, poser, from poser. See other entries: fixie, beard, PBR, skinny pants, trucker hat, groupthink

joshb

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 13:58:05 -0800

I've wondered why at least one of the new BART cars they're currently testing (the photo shows just one option they're looking into) isn't standing-room only. It's the cheapest way to increase capacity while still providing the cushy experience that makes BART more pleasant than the bus.

ChesterY

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 13:52:35 -0800

Also, just as a note, the sign doesn't give cyclists priority over the seats, just the wall space. So all it really does is give adequate room for bicycles to be stowed in the best possible area of the train car...it's better for everyone. As for bikes on BART during commute times, I've found that there's usually plenty of room on westbound Transbay trains during the last half-hour of the commute. From 8:20ish and onward. During those times, I defy the letter of the regulations by bringing my bike, but obey the intent of the rules by getting off a train if it ends up getting too crowded and I'm inconveniencing/blocking others. Once got a warning from a BART cop -- who was nice about it -- but have never had a station employee say a word to me at either my departure, transfer, or arrival stations. I think, if everyone were able to exercise responsibility and consideration, there would be no problem allowing bikes at all times. (And a single car of all trains stripped of seating would help immensely.) After all, I've often been on trains outside of weekday commute times that are standing-room-only packed and, during those times, we're all trusted to exit trains that are too crowded. It makes sense to me that this be extended throughout the day. If the whole "last mile" conundrum were fixed by making it much easier to bring bikes on BART at all hours, then I think we'd see more ridership and that would benefit all BART riders, both pedestrians and cyclists.

KatyG

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 13:51:30 -0800

I think this bike art was chosen because it's just a cleaner piece of art than one with multiple gears. Somtimes a cigar is just a cigar, people. But please do not let that deter you all from the hipster hate. It's been days since we've had any here, and I could use some laughs.

what

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 13:43:58 -0800

"The "hipster" thing is strange. Where I come from its "good" to be in fashion/hip...but from what I understand here (or at least in san francisco) people get made fun of for being hip/fashion?" You can't be hip if you can't win the "indier than thou" game. Fixies are no longer indie enough for SF. Skinny jeans are no longer indie enough for SF. Long handlebar mustaches are borderline. Looking like you spent a long time on your hair to make it look like you spent no time on your hair is not indie, but looking like you spent a long time on your hair to make it look like you spent a long time on your hair can actually be indie. Dolores Park is no longer indie, but it's one of the few places you can go to show everyone else how much indier you are, and hence, win the game.

grumblor

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 13:43:46 -0800

Hipsters are the epitome of trying waaaay too hard to appear cool. Coolness/hipness comes from within. Not from ironic fashion(?) that you pull out of the bargain bin at the Salvation Army. And for people who are so counter-everything, they sure do dress exactly alike, don't they? Their shitty ironic fashion is like a badge of honor that desperately cries out, "PLEASE NOTICE ME!! SOMEONE PLEASE ACKNOWLEDGE HOW INCREDIBLY COOL I AM. PLEASE???!!" For some reason, some hipster somewhere decided that fixies would be the cool/hip bike. So then every hipster everywhere decided to follow suit. Possibly out of fear of being thrown out of the hipster club. Fixie = Hipster. That is why people hate on them. And now, thanks to BART, they can smugly have people move out of their seats (yes, it appears that you have to clear seats to make room for bikes the same way you would have to clear space for a wheelchair) to make room for their incredibly hip bike.

fizzandpop

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 13:43:38 -0800

Dear Lardtub, it's not hard to draw a bike with gears, you just need some bottle caps to trace around. You want to know what's hard to draw? Horses. I can never get their legs right. Is it trotting? Is it galloping? You can never tell from my pictures.

ChesterY

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 13:42:43 -0800

I encountered one of these spaces, with my bike and thus much to my delight, a couple weeks ago. They're different from the handicapped spaces because the nearest seats are set back a half-row further. That way, you can have a full-sized bike leaning against the wall of the train and not have it right up against the knees of yourself or anyone sitting in the nearest seat. In the handicapped spaces, there's just enough room for a bike, but one wheel will be resting against the edge of the seat.

lardtub

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 13:36:04 -0800

How did this become a conversation about fixed gears? Obviously it is a lot harder to draw a geared road bike or mountain bike than just make a simple representation...the graphic is not meant to be an artist's rendering of your sick Cannondale or whatever. I've been riding BART for years and it has always amazed me that there was no space for bikes. Now if they would only let us take our bike on the train during the hours we actually ride... At least it is a step in the right direction.

SFJoe

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 13:29:34 -0800

Bikers can't be bothered to obey traffic signals and regulations, what makes BART think they'll pay any attention to this?

bottombracket

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 13:21:58 -0800

Looks like the wheelchair space turned into bike space.

Belgand

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 13:05:02 -0800

Indeed. Despite the way BART is designed not everyone commutes into the city. For those going out it can often mean that once you get to your station you're stranded. My girlfriend had an hour walk every day to work (and no, she insisted that the bus wouldn't have been much help) up until recently and a bike would have been a huge help. Except for the BART ban on taking your bike over to Oakland in the morning. Bike parking is available for people who live outside the city and want a bike to just get to the station, but otherwise there's no last-mile solution for people who live in the city and reverse-commute.

murphstahoe

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 13:03:20 -0800

This is the wall against which Rob Anderson will be thrown when the revolution comes...

sf_bikebike

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 13:02:29 -0800

The "hipster" thing is strange. Where I come from its "good" to be in fashion/hip...but from what I understand here (or at least in san francisco) people get made fun of for being hip/fashion? America is a strange place. And the fact that people hate different styles of bikes is also strange. who cares. right?

zig

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 13:01:34 -0800

"no, of course not. That would require BART to actually give the back car of a train to cyclists..." Bart is already close to capacity over the TransBay with long dwell times Letting bikes on these routes would decrease serive for everyone else

mattymatt

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 12:42:06 -0800

This is lovely, but as Idyll points out, what would be REALLY nice is if BART didn't prohibit bikes during commute times.

idyll23

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 12:29:48 -0800

Awesome! Does this mean that cyclists actually get to ride the BART between 4:25 and 6:25? (no, of course not. That would require BART to actually give the back car of a train to cyclists... )

suggestible

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 12:20:25 -0800

Tell me you're just trying to bait the bike haters, Brock. There is so much sense in designating a spot for bikes because otherwise those who bring their bikes on board may put them in inconvenient places. It makes sense to get them out of the way, away from doors and not blocking seats! And I'm sure the outline is a fixie for simplicity's sake, and not any internal BART favor for fixed-gear bikes. Even the curmudgeons on BART Rage have come to accept that there is a place for bikes on BART if the rider isn't an idiot. Having a huge cut-out and a big words saying BIKE SPACE can only help, right? http://bartrage.com/node/1517

salty

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 12:12:24 -0800

What a great opportunity to throw in a "crippled" reference to blue signage. No, the bicycles aren't crippled...unlike people who usually get priority seating on public transit when they are crippled. Damn crips...at least SFist doesn't heed that loonie sensitivity bit about "disabled".

Generic

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 12:04:13 -0800

Ok, LOOK: Normally I'm not the type to vandalize. It's not in my nature to whip out a sharpie and tag a BART car with with anti-fixie scrawl. But when they LURE you like that ... No human being should be expected to resist that kind of temptation.

OrangeDrink

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 12:03:40 -0800

yes.

khalid

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 12:03:16 -0800

awesome!

Brock Keeling

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 12:00:11 -0800

why the fixie hate? aside from their previous hipster connotation, are they really that so wrong?

what

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 11:52:05 -0800

I'd much rather have them dragging their bikes between the seats, banging my leg with the pedal every friggin' time, please.

jefftiki

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 11:49:42 -0800

die fixies, die.

jimH

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 11:44:14 -0800

No brakes and just a single speed. Very SF. And from the looks of the gearing, you could climb the Hayes Street Hill with no problems at all.

diction

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 11:42:47 -0800

from the look of the graphic it's a fixed gear priority spot..