Amtrak Releases Results of Carry-On Bike Tests

Photo courtesy of Christopher Parker of Vermont Rail Action Network, www.railvermont.org

In July, Amtrak conducted a series of bicycle tests on its passenger trains in New York and Vermont.  The VT Bike/Ped Coalition was asked by Amtrak to recruit bicyclists to participate in tests on the Vermonter and Ethan Allen train routes.  Each volunteer bicyclist was asked to board at a particular stop with a carry-on bicycle and detrain at the next stop.  Over 40 bicyclists were recruited by the VBPC to participate in these tests.  Unfortunately, the Vermonter test took place during the hottest week of the summer.  Multiple days of extreme heat caused a heat kink in the track, which resulted in the need for a repair crew and a four-hour delay in the train schedule.  This huge delay forced many of the volunteer testers to drop out, so only a limited number of survey responses were collected on the Vermonter.

To see the summaries of what bicyclists had to say about their experiences, you can click on individual links for the Vermonter test, the Ethan Allen test, the Northeast Region test and/or the Adirondack and Niagara Falls test.  Please go to the VBPC home page  http://www.vtbikeped.org/ and scroll down to the second item to see the Amtrak survey results.

The VBPC will be meeting with Amtrak officials in September to discuss the next steps to implement carry-on bicycle service in Vermont.  Please support the VBPC as we work to enhance train access for bicyclists by becoming a new member or by renewing your membership if it has lapsed.  Thank you.