Caltrain wants you to vote on new bike storage design
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Caltrain wants you weigh in on the design for bike storage on its new electric trains.
The options that are on display at the Caltrain station at 4th and King streets in San Francisco are getting mixed reviews.
Bike capacity is at a premium on Caltrain. "They get very full very quickly," one person said.
Bikers said the current stacking system can lead to conflicts mid-commute. "It's generally pretty awful, trying to find out who's going where and making sure you don't put your bike on top of somebody else's who needs to get off before you do," Caltarin commuter Alex Eiser said.
Caltrain plans to increase bike storage on the new electric trains. "We'll have increased capacity over the system because we'll be running more trains," Caltrain spokesperson Lori Low said.
Low said they made a commitment to have one bike for every eight seats.
After considering many designs, they've come up with two options for people to vote on. "The real option is between capacity, which is option one and option two is this potential to get your bike in and out without considering where people are going," Low said.
Commuters like Eiser can test out the prototypes in the city's 4th and King street station. "Middle one is the best so far," she said.
There won't be passenger seats in the new bike cars. Instead, there will be 10 surveillance cameras that are supposed to discourage thefts. "I'm not so worried about someone stealing my bicycle at Caltrain, it's a really good community that way," a passenger said.
"A camera does not help you get a bike back, so unless Caltrain is going to cover the cost of replacing a bike, it's not a good design," Eiser said.
Commuters will also be able to check out the displays in Redwood City and Palo Alto in the coming days. You will be able to vote on the two designs through midnight on September 21, 2017.
Click here to cast your vote for which bike rack you prefer.
Click here to read more stories about Caltrain.
