Metra’s bikes on trains program is a fraud

August 5, 2007 at 2:40 pm | In transportation, bicycle, train |

The Chicagoland Bicycle Federation tells us to … visit the Metra website for details about the program including rules and regulations, [and] blackout dates … which would be fine if Metra would tell the truth. Yesterday, I followed the CBF instructions, and visited the Metra Bikes on Trains page specifically looking for blackout dates. This what I found:

Bicycles are permitted on all weekday trains arriving in Chicago after 9:30 AM and leaving Chicago before 3:00 PM and after 7:00 PM, and on all weekend trains, with the following exceptions:

  • Blues Fest (June 7 - 10)
  • All days during Taste of Chicago (June 29 - July 8)
  • Independence Eve Fireworks (July 3)
  • Venetian Night (July 28)
  • Air & Water Show (August 18 & 19)
  • Jazz Fest (August 30 - September 2)

Great, I thought. August 4th isn’t listed. So I went to Ogilvy Transportation Center and attempted to board a UPN train at 2:35pm. The conductor told me “No Bikes on Trains this weekend.” When I asked why not, he said “Lollapalloza, Cubs game, Bears game.” When I told him that I just checked the Metra website and this weekend wasn’t listed as a blackout weekend he said, “Too bad.”

If I cannot count on the information on the Metra website, why would I ever use this program again? I have places to go and have to be able to count on the means to do so. If there’s a chance there is a stealth blackout, that means I cross Metra off my list of options for getting where I need to go. This program is useless!

Today, I’m going to Wilmette again. Will I try Metra? No way!

5 Comments

  1. That’s not the path to a green chicago… very unfortunate.

    Comment by Michael Maranda — August 5, 2007 #

  2. I’m sorry that this passenger had a poor experience with Metra’s Bikes on Trains program. One of our Chicagoland Bicycle Federation staff members wanted to take their bicycle onto a Metra train this weekend as well. When they went to Metra’s homepage on Friday to plan their trip, they saw a notice that this weekend was a blackout date. The bike specific page didn’t have the date listed amongst the blackout dates.

    Certainly we don’t want there to be confusion regarding Metra’s blackout dates. The dates have been severely reduced for 2007 which is a good thing but we don’t want them to be adding back in dates without appropriate notification. We will continue to work with Metra to ensure that passengers are notified of all blackout dates.

    Comment by Randy Warren — August 6, 2007 #

  3. Randy, is there any reliable way to know what the actual blackout dates really are?

    Comment by ted — August 6, 2007 #

  4. I had a similar experience this summer - I had one conductor tell me there is no bikes on trains allowed period during “festival season” which is ALL SUMMER!

    Comment by Sarah Milone — October 20, 2007 #

  5. In fairness, I find the bikes on trains program to work as promised weekdays. It’s just the secret and conductor wildcat blackouts that make the program unusable on summer weekends. That seems like a pretty big problem to me.

    Comment by ted — October 22, 2007 #

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