January, 2011 – OCBC attended the media event revealing the railroad’s new rolling stock. The Korean made “safety” cars bring needed new capacity to the commuter service and free up older units for refurbishing. We’re discussing modifications that would put 30 to 40 bicycles aboard the lower level of renovated cars while accommodating bicyclists on the top. Similar coaches are in service in the Bay Area already, and Metrolink managers are open to the idea, pending funding.
- Irvine, December 2010, “Handlebar mustache before new bike car.”
New cars carry 4 bikes each for a total of 12 per train. Secure your bike per “The Memo,” below. Every rider needs a bungie or web strap to secure their own bike.
Founded in 1991, Metrolink carries over 40,000 passengers boarding at 55 stations, on trains running on 7 routes. The Orange County line is owned and maintained by Metrolink.
Yes, people do ride the train– about 7,000 OC passengers a day in fact keeping more that 6,000 cars off the freeways. They ride it a long way, too: 90% of passengers are commuters with an average trip length of 39 miles. Good thing over 90% of Orange County’s trains run on time.
Proof: 4 bikes-- a BMX, commuter/road, mountain, and full-on road-- properly stacked in the bike area.
May, 2010 – Bicycle capacity on OC Metrolink trains is increased from two to between 4 and 8 bikes per car– depending on how the car has been modified.
Many cars on the OC Line have the bench seat removed to make more room for bikes.
OCBC lobbied Metrolink last year for the increase, pointing out that the area designated for 2 bikes would easily hold 3 or 4, provided they were stacked left/right, that is “handlebars to seat.” Additional space is now available where a bench seat has been removed just inside the doors of cars marked with the Bike decal. Today it’s common to see 6 or 7 bikes in a car on busy trains in the morning.
SO HERE’S THE MEMO:
1.) Try to organize bikes in the stack according to destinations.
2.) Stack bikes left/right, handlebars to seat.
3.) Bring YOUR OWN bungie or strap to secure your bike. No loose bikes!
Bungie retains a bike in the area beneath the stairs on a modified coach.
4.) Free up your bike before your stop to expedite detraining.
5.) Let the pedestrians get on/off first so they’re out of your way.
Metrolink site, click the map.
OC weekday schedule
OC Sat. and Sun. schedule
YAYYY! Thank you for publishing this info, that I have come to know to be true after five years riding Coaster/Metrolink with a bike. Two things I would like to add. 1. Please leave the beach cruiser with he Texas longhorn handlebars at home, or choose an off peak train unless you have no choice (buying that thing was a fashionable choice, not a good one.) 2. PLEASE do not put your bike on a stack of three of four, then proceed to the upper deck. Cyclists should be near their bikes.
Bekah, howdy.
Each car bears one Handicapped and one Bicycle decal. Northbound the Bicycle decal tends to be toward the “front” of the train. Since the trains don’t turn around, southbound those would be on the “back” of the train.
Let us know how that first ride goes, OK?
Any advice for a 1st timer? Are the bike decals on the train cars usually toward the front or back end of the train (so when I’m waiting at the station I have a clue where to stand for the bike car)?
Bungies or webstraps only have to be long enough to secure your bike to the wall or other bike in the stack.
Locking your front brake helps a lot, too.
So, how long do the bungies have to be?