BART Bike Pilot Program Begins Friday

Bike riders are going to have a little more freedom when using BART in the coming weeks.

Beginning today, BART will allow bike riders to use trains during commute hours on Fridays as part of a pilot program to test the impact bike riders have on passengers during rush hours, BART bike program manager Steve Beroldo said.

The program will lift all restrictions to when bikes can be on BART trains, and will be in effect each Friday in August, Beroldo said. Regular restrictions apply for bikes on Monday through Thursday, he said.

Beroldo said August was chosen because it is a lighter month for commuting. Friday was chosen because it is the lightest work commute day at BART, he said.

All the regular BART bike rules will remain in place during the program for safety reasons, Beroldo said. No bikes will be allowed in the first car, no bikes can enter a crowded car, and bikes can't block aisles or doors, among other restrictions, he said.

The San Francisco and East Bay bicycle coalitions went to BART six months ago to look for ways to improve riding for bikers, Beroldo said.

A "bold and exciting" plan was in place about a month after their meeting, he
said.

The coalitions will help retrieve feedback for the program from both bike and non-bike riders.

"We want to hear from everyone using BART to find out if it would work," BART spokesman Jim Allison said.

The program will be evaluated from an operational standpoint from the perspectives of bike riders and non-bike rider passengers, focusing on rush hour times of about 7 to 8:50 a.m. and 4:25 to 6:45 p.m.

— Bay City News