Caltrain is set to launch a five-week “Bikes Board First” pilot program on Monday, April 16, with the aim of speeding up train boarding.
During the pilot period, bicyclists will board bike cars first at the Mountain View, Palo Alto and Redwood City stations, as enforced by Caltrain staff. The policy, crafted with input by the Caltrain Bicycle Advisory Committee and bicycle advocacy groups, aims to prevent bicyclists from blocking entrances while navigating through crowds on train platforms.
“These boardings will be timed and compared to the standard boarding process to determine if this new approach could make overall Caltrain service more efficient,” the agency said.
About 66 percent of delays result from issues with passengers, with bike boarding issues responsible for 1,352 minutes of delays in December 2017 alone, according to Caltrain. The train system carries about 6,000 people with bikes every weekday.
In May, the Bicycle Advisory Committee will review findings from the pilot.
