Richard Stowe of New Canaan published this op-ed in the Hartford Courant, as
well as the Stamford Advocate and Greenwich Time. After reading, please
sign the petition at http://www.petitiononline.com/getoff95

http://www.courant.com/news/opinion/commentary/hc-plcstowe10903.artsep03,0,7324250.story

Make Room For Bikes On Rail Cars

By RICHARD M. STOWE

September 3 2006

Last month the State Bond Commission approved $459 million toward the
largest purchase of rail cars in state history - 300 new M8s (with an option
to purchase 80 more) from Kawasaki Rail Car Inc. and $25 million toward
refurbishing existing rail cars. Initial delivery for new cars is due in
2009.

The good news is that these cars are designed to run not only on Metro-North
Railroad's New Haven line, but also on the state Department of
Transportation's Shore Line East corridor.

The bad news is that the design for the M8 cars does not yet include
dedicated space for bicycles.

Connecticut should formulate a statewide transportation strategy in which
the bicycle replaces the automobile for many short trips and commuter rail
replaces the automobile for many longer trips.

This transportation strategy will help reduce our addiction to oil and
mitigate its unwanted effects - blood-stained fields in the Middle East,
oil-soaked waters in the Mediterranean, global warming, the coming global
peak oil crisis, unacceptably high numbers of motor vehicle-related deaths
and injuries, air pollution, continued gas price increases and mind-numbing
congestion on our highways.

To increase rail safety and speed, we should invest in infrastructure, such
as signal upgrades, double tracking and grade separation projects, as well
as the new rail cars. Similarly, we should improve bicycle safety by the
judicious development of multi-use trails and by using bicycle-friendly road
design. Car lanes may be narrowed and shoulders widened by simply repainting
roadway edge striping. Narrower car lanes calm traffic and wider shoulders
improve safety for bicyclists.

Finally, bicycles and trains should be coupled in an intermodal strategy, in
which cyclists are encouraged to bring their bikes on trains.

Nationally, this was once discouraged by requiring riders to buy bicycle
permits and by keeping bikes off peak-hour trains.

When these impediments are removed (Gov. Christine Todd Whitman eliminated
permits in New Jersey), and separate bicycle parking areas on new train cars
are established, more bicyclists commute by train.

Examples of rail lines that have dedicated bicycle parking on their train
cars include Tri-Rail (from West Palm Beach, Fla., to Miami), Caltrain (from
San Jose, Calif., to San Francisco), Altamont Commuter Express (Stockton,
Calif., to San Jose), Metrolink (a six-county Los Angeles metro region),
Coaster (San Diego County), Pacific Surfliner (San Diego to San Luis Obispo,
Calif.) and Capitol Corridor (San Jose to Sacramento). Central Florida
Commuter Rail will provide bike parking on its train cars when the 61-mile
commuter rail line serving the Greater Orlando area opens in 2009.

And in Europe, bicycle parking on trains is the rule, not the exception.

It is time for Connecticut to join the parade by providing bike parking on
the new M8 train cars.

The new and refurbished cars will give Metro-North's New Haven Line excess
capacity for the first time in its history. With a larger inventory of rail
cars, Metro-North can not only provide dedicated space on its new rail cars
for bicycle parking, but also more frequent train service.

Letting cyclists bring their bikes on trains will reduce demand for scarce
motor vehicle parking spaces at stations. Bicycling becomes a feasible way
to commute to work without a car.

Including bicycle parking in the final design of the rail cars is a
cost-effective investment in our public transportation system. Bypassing
such an investment now may lead to much more expensive retrofits at a later
date.

Connecticut will soon see the benefits. And it will likely be emulated by
other state rail agencies on the Northeast Corridor. Let's encourage
Connecticut legislators and officials to provide safe, sensible, efficient
and health-minded transportation for residents, employees and visitors.

Richard M. Stowe of New Canaan is director of Rail Transportation Excellence
Coalition of Connecticut and president of the New Canaan Environmental
Group, an environmental education organization.

Copyright 2006, Hartford Courant

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