This week I am at the annual TRB conference in Washington, DC, so I begin with a brief update on the city's newest transportation options. Most of the episode is my conversation with Steve Beroldo, a daily bike commuter and Manager of Access Programs at Bay Area Rapid Transit, about his efforts to better facilitate multimodal travel by integrating bikes and trains. We hear about some innovative secure bike parking facilities, a pilot program to lift the rush hour bike ban, and some insights into the challenges of accommodating bikes and other large objects on a busy subway system.
BART is the only rapid transit link between San Francisco and the east bay cities of Oakland and Berkeley, a distance of over 7 miles for which no bike route exists. Cyclists must use BART to make the trip, but bikes are not allowed on any rush hour trains to San Francisco. The alternative is being stuck in traffic on the limited Caltrans bike shuttle or a crowded AC Transit bus, not great for sustainable transportation.