BART perma­nently on board with bikes on trains

BART riders who have taken their bikes onto trains during the transit agency’s five-month trial period can continue to do so after the trial expires on Dec. 1.

Board members unanimously approved to permanently lift the bike ban on BART trains at its Thursday board meeting.

Bikes will be allowed on all trains at all times with the exception of the first three cars during peak commute times of 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Bikes will not be allowed on the first car of each train, and at anytime on crowded trains.

BART has tried three trial periods of allowing bikes on trains. The latest trial period, which began on July 1, is still in effect. During each trial period, the transit agency surveyed riders about the policy.

BART Bicycle Access Manager Steve Beroldo said in a news release:

“Survey results show that with each bike pilot, the level of bike acceptance grew.”

Beroldo said 79 percent of a recent survey of random passengers said they would be in favor of revising the bike rules as long as bikes are not allowed in the first three trains during the commute hours.

The transit agency said it will be monitoring the new policy by getting feedback from frontline staff and looking at best bike rule practices from other transit agencies and adding more secure parking for bikes at stations.

BART will re-evaluate the policy when weekday average ridership hits 450,000 three months in a row. Total BART ridership for September 2013 was 415,803.