Bikes
Bikes On Board
A Bike Rider's Guide to Capitol Corridor
All trains on the Capitol Corridor are equipped with a limited number of bicycle racks, allowing you to bring your bike onboard as unboxed, carry-on baggage. It's an easy and convenient way to take your bike with you, and you can explore Northern California without ever getting in your car.
Capitol Corridor Focuses on Bicycles
Thank you to all who participated in our recent online bicycle survey and on-train bicycle workshops. The survey and workshops were aimed at helping those who manage and operate the Capitol Corridor service as well as those who use the service (riders) use our collective knowledge to try and solve bicycle crowding issues as well as preserve your flexibility in being able to take your bicycle on the train. If you are interested, feel free to view the survey results.
Rising gasoline prices and an improving economy will exacerbate the bicycle crowding issues so we are hoping to implement some of these changes as soon as possible. Please bear with us as we work towards some solutions, and help convey onboard etiquette to new riders bringing their bicycles onboard in a kind and considerate manner if you see a bicycle storage issue which could impede access for train customers.
For those of you who signed up via the survey to be included in the bicycle working group, we will be contacting you shortly. If you did not sign -up to be part of this group, but wish to participate, please send an e-mail to trains@capitolcorridor.org requesting that your name and e-mail be added to our list.
Rack Locations
You can find bicycle racks on the lower level of most coach cars. If all racks are full, notify the conductor. The conductor will identify a place for you to safely secure your bike. Please carry a bungee cord with you, to use in securing your bike.
Securing Your Bike
- Standing behind the bike, pull the handlebars up to stand the bike vertically.
- Guide the front wheel onto the hook on the wall. You may have to lift the bike up a few inches.
- For a more secure fastening, lower the stabilization bar next to the front wheel and wrap the Velcro strap around the forks. You can also lock your bicycle through the stabilization bar.
- If bicycle hooks are blocked by baggage, leave the bike adjacent to the baggage, not blocking an aisle and ask for the conductor's assistance.
- If you board/off-board at Berkeley, please try to use cars #2 and #4 for your bicycle storage, if space is available. Conversely, if you do not utilize the Berkeley station, please try to store your bicycle in cars other than #2 and #4.
Bike Racks Full?
During peak travel times, bike racks can fill up quickly on busy trains. If the bike racks are full, follow the instructions of the train crew on where to place and secure your bicycle with a bungee cord so that it won't impede the flow of all traffic in the lower levels. Please be prepared to temporarily or permanently move your bicycle at the requst of the conductor, or if you see a situation where your bicycle storage is impeding access for other train customers. Thank you for your cooperation.
Bikes on Motorcoach Buses
Most motorcoach buses can accommodate bicycles, if stored underneath the motorcoach in the luggage compartment. Amtrak and Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority assume no responsibility, and passengers must load and unload their own bikes.
Update May 2009 - Some of the new cab-car floor-mounted bicycle racks have been removed. During peak travel periods, when the bike racks were filled to capacity, the unsecured and improperly secured bicycles did not always provide enough safe clearance for wheelchairs, scooters and general foot traffic. The floor-mounted bike racks were installed to supplement the vertical racks at the ends of cars and accommodate increased demand for bike storage on our trains. Even with these additional 8-bike capacity racks, peak period demand for bicycle space has exceeded on board capacity, and unsecured and improperly secured bicycles have become a safety issue.
CCJPA is working with Caltrans on a new bike rack design that will minimize the amount of loose bicycles and ensure that the aisles are clear for foot and wheelchair traffic.
Between 8 and 9 percent of all our passengers now access our trains by bicycle, among the highest percentage of bicycle-to-transit use in the country. At the same time, we must allow for the safe passage of general foot traffic and also accommodate our mobility-impaired passengers who are unable to, or have difficulty, maneuvering up the stairs, and must be seated on the lower level.
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