Bikes on the subway
January 10th, 2012 at 9:21 am ETI woke up feeling draggy (maybe it was the 14 miles I rode yesterday?) and couldn’t face biking to work. But I know I’ll want the bike later (I have stuff to do after work). And thanks to MTA/New York City Transit’s liberal bike policy (bikes allowed on all NYC subway trains at all times), I was able to grab my Puma bike and bring it to work on the R train.
This sort of policy doesn’t just happen; people agitate for it. And it makes a difference. PATH, the cross-Hudson subway line, allows folding bikes at all times, but regular-sized bikes only on off-peak hours. And, as a result, I bet fewer people take advantage. If your transit authority doesn’t allow bikes on train cars, doesn’t have bike racks on the front of buses, call or write and ask them why. And don’t take “because it costs money” as an answer. Things worth doing sometimes do cost money, either to get them started or to maintain them, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be done. And in most cities, the people who aren’t driving aren’t vocal in comparison to their numbers. So be vocal.
Next step: getting the MTA to put bike racks on its 5,908 buses…
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Rich Mintz blogs on online fundraising and social media, American history and culture, bicycling and urbanism, food, technology, and other topics. Professionally, he's an expert in fundraising, constituency development, and social media for nonprofits, cultural organizations, cause-related marketers, and corporations. He is based in New York, where he serves as Vice President, Strategy, for 
