Comments on: It’s Bike to Work Day in SoCal http://www.interbiketimes.com/2008/05/16/its-bike-to-work-day-in-socal/ The Official Blog Of Interbike Sat, 15 May 2010 01:30:54 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Rich Kelly http://www.interbiketimes.com/2008/05/16/its-bike-to-work-day-in-socal/comment-page-1/#comment-25973 Rich Kelly Mon, 19 May 2008 16:24:32 +0000 http://www.interbiketimes.com/?p=277#comment-25973 Richard - not sure what trains you ride and at what time, but in the San Diego and Orange county areas that I ride Metrolink, you'd be hardpressed to find an empty slot in the rack for your bike in the afternoon peak end-of the-workday times. And this is regardless of whether it's bike to work day/week/month. Same goes for the new Sprinter light rail line in north San Diego county, I've read in the paper. The week long promotion (while anemically promoted by the authorities) DOES have an impact on the continually growing bike commuter ranks. What it does is encourage people to give it a try for one day. People then realize how easy, enjoyable and inexpensive it is and get hooked. And, yes, it is possible to ride without breaking a sweat in SoCal. You should give it a try! Richard – not sure what trains you ride and at what time, but in the San Diego and Orange county areas that I ride Metrolink, you’d be hardpressed to find an empty slot in the rack for your bike in the afternoon peak end-of the-workday times. And this is regardless of whether it’s bike to work day/week/month. Same goes for the new Sprinter light rail line in north San Diego county, I’ve read in the paper.
The week long promotion (while anemically promoted by the authorities) DOES have an impact on the continually growing bike commuter ranks. What it does is encourage people to give it a try for one day. People then realize how easy, enjoyable and inexpensive it is and get hooked.
And, yes, it is possible to ride without breaking a sweat in SoCal. You should give it a try!

]]> By: binny bin http://www.interbiketimes.com/2008/05/16/its-bike-to-work-day-in-socal/comment-page-1/#comment-25972 binny bin Mon, 19 May 2008 15:24:26 +0000 http://www.interbiketimes.com/?p=277#comment-25972 that picture brings back good memories. i hope you are riding spinergy's! that picture brings back good memories.
i hope you are riding spinergy’s!

]]> By: Richard http://www.interbiketimes.com/2008/05/16/its-bike-to-work-day-in-socal/comment-page-1/#comment-25964 Richard Sat, 17 May 2008 17:39:04 +0000 http://www.interbiketimes.com/?p=277#comment-25964 As usual, there were no bikes on my afternoon train to Riverside on Thursday. Metro produced a five-fold flyer and had been distributing it off-and-on for at least a few weeks. On the afternoon Blue Line, a bicyclist got on at Imperial and the operator yelled over the public address system that bikes were not allowed in the "front" (whatever that meant) and that he had to get off and go to the back. Maybe the operator didn't get the memo. It seems typical of the insular transit agencies, but Metrolink didn't promote the day at all. Neither did most of the transit agencies, even in Los Angeles county. I really don't get the point of these kinds of promotions. Did it attract any new transit riders? Who would go out of their way to attempt to use public transit for a free ride, on some public transit, for one day? It seems more like it was an industry promotion than a public transit promotion. Now, if there were a bike month, with free rides on all public transit, that might actually attract some transit riders. But would regular transit riders want a bunch of sweaty cyclists sharing their trains and busses? I don't know. Can you ride a bicycle in the Southern California sun and not work up a sweat? As usual, there were no bikes on my afternoon train to Riverside on Thursday. Metro produced a five-fold flyer and had been distributing it off-and-on for at least a few weeks.

On the afternoon Blue Line, a bicyclist got on at Imperial and the operator yelled over the public address system that bikes were not allowed in the “front” (whatever that meant) and that he had to get off and go to the back. Maybe the operator didn’t get the memo.

It seems typical of the insular transit agencies, but Metrolink didn’t promote the day at all. Neither did most of the transit agencies, even in Los Angeles county.

I really don’t get the point of these kinds of promotions. Did it attract any new transit riders? Who would go out of their way to attempt to use public transit for a free ride, on some public transit, for one day?

It seems more like it was an industry promotion than a public transit promotion. Now, if there were a bike month, with free rides on all public transit, that might actually attract some transit riders.

But would regular transit riders want a bunch of sweaty cyclists sharing their trains and busses? I don’t know. Can you ride a bicycle in the Southern California sun and not work up a sweat?

]]> By: Carlton Reid http://www.interbiketimes.com/2008/05/16/its-bike-to-work-day-in-socal/comment-page-1/#comment-25962 Carlton Reid Sat, 17 May 2008 13:30:17 +0000 http://www.interbiketimes.com/?p=277#comment-25962 Yes, interested, not nosy. : ) Yes, interested, not nosy. : )

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