Multimodal trip considerations: biking in the suburbs
This post outlines some thoughts about multimodal trip considerations. A multimodal trip entails slightly different considerations than a bike-only trip. Multimodal trips make more sense if the full distance of the trip is too far to bike. This may often be the case in the suburbs. Thankfully, Montgomery County has a relatively decent transit system for a more suburban area.
The particular type of multimodal trip covered here is bike + bus and/or train.
Obviously, there will probably be some amount of walking involved too.
First, if your multimodal trip involves a bus, it is essential to know how to load and unload your bike on the bus. Otherwise, you would have to lock your bike at/near the bus stop and leave it there. Depending on the particular trip you're making, it may make sense to park your bike somewhere and transfer to transit, returning to your bike later. Other times, it makes more sense to bring the bike with you on the train or bus.
examples:
Generally speaking: If there's good bike parking at your destination and/or you might be making bike trips after you complete the transit portion of your trip, bring it with you. If you won't really have use for your bike after the transit portion of the trip, then it might be less of a hassle to park it at the bus stop or train station.
The vast majority of my trips are on Ride On (bus) and occasionally Metrorail. Both of these systems allow standard bicycles at all times (yay!). However, if you commute via MARC's Brunswick line or an MTA commuter bus, for example, regular (non-folding) bikes are not allowed so you would have to lock your bike somewhere prior to boarding. I'm not really familiar with the bike parking situation at area MARC stations, but you wouldn't be able to bring it on the train.
I don't really use bikeshare, but this could be an option if you don't take your bike on the bus or train but have access to bikeshare at your destination and want to make bike trips. Another type of multimodal trip could involve biking to a destination and then taking transit for the return trip.
The basic technique for loading and unloading a bike on a bus can be conveyed in a video, but being able to do it swiftly and smoothly does take some practice. If you do it often enough, you'll get better at it.
One of the key things here is finding the best locations to hold while lifting the bike up. Depending on the geometry of your particular bike, this will vary a bit. Some bikes have geometry that offers better grab points for lifting. Make sure you don't hit yourself in the face with the handlebars. It could be useful to practice lifting your bike at home and test out the easiest way to hold it.
example:
Given that you'll be lifting the bike a foot or so off the ground to load/unload it on the bus, a 50-lb. Dutch bike might not be the best choice for a multimodal trip where you take the bike on transit. If you have a choice in what kind of bike you'll take, it's probably better to choose a lighter bike that's easier to lift. On the other hand, if you're riding a heavy bike, it might make more sense to park the bike and then take transit.
Remove anything on the bike that might fall off before you get on the bus. I would take water bottles out of the cages and items out of any open baskets. I leave my lights on the bike. I don't use a rack, but if I did, I'd probably take off whatever was on the rack and carry it with me on the bus. Related to this, because I take my bike on the bus often, I haven't attached a lot of stuff to it. Big side baskets/panniers, a front basket/rack and/or a noodle would potentially interfere with being able to easily take it on the bus or train.
On the train and in the train station: WMATA/Metrorail
If you're taking your bike on the train, getting to the platform will involve the stairs/elevator/escalator. This also applies if you transfer buses (as I do) at a station that has bus plazas on both sides and you have to go through the station to transfer.
Although you're supposed to use the elevators if you have a bike, WMATA's elevators (at least in the older stations) are tiny. Sometimes they smell bad. They can be kind of slow. They can be hard to find. Other people might be using them. They might be out of order. Even if you're the only person in the elevator, a regular-sized adult bike will be a tight fit, especially if it has a longer wheelbase. In short, the elevator is often a hassle.
I generally avoid using the elevator (unless I'm feeling particularly tired) and take the escalator or stairs, even though you're not technically supposed to. If there's a crowd of people that will soon clear up, I try to wait until they've gone before I go.
Going up, I take the escalator and stand because it's harder to carry a 30-something-lb bike up the stairs. I stand next to the bike and hold onto the handlebars with both hands to steady the bike. This generally takes up most of the width of the escalator, although it might be possible for a determined person to squeeze past.
Going down (if it's a relatively short flight of stairs), I usually carry the bike and walk. If it's a long escalator, I stand and hold the bike by the handlebars.
Use the accessible fare gates because they are wider.
In the train, the best place to go with a bike is towards the end of the cars. Unfortunately, the interior layout of Metro trains doesn't have any designated space for bicycles. 7000 series trains are a bit easier to bring a bike on because they don't have the vertical poles in the area near the doors like the older trains. Some (but not all) of the older trains have been partially renovated (decarpeted) and these vertical poles have been removed.
A kickstand is useful to have on the train although you'll still have to hold onto the bike somewhere to keep it from falling over. If possible, try to angle the bike so that it'll be easier to roll it off the train when it's time to get off.
Planning the multimodal trip:
In short, this is something you more or less have to put together on your own. Know the available transit options and decide if there's any portion of your trip that might be more efficient to bike.
example:
As it stands, I'm not aware of any particularly good websites or apps that provide good multimodal trip planning. Citymapper may be the best option, but even then, it isn't brilliant. What I generally do is use a trip planner (like Google Maps or Citymapper) for the transit segment and then plan the bike segment as a separate trip. It's a bit of a hassle, but I don't know of a better solution.
Planning a trip like that means you have to be at least somewhat familiar with the available transit options and be able to decide if there's a segment that might be better suited to biking. Then you plan that biking segment separately.
I like cycle.travel for general bike trip planning. I think it's superior to Google Maps. You can plan freeform routes with cycle.travel and it provides better elevation information -- it shows the percentage of the incline instead of something like "186ft to 293 ft."
Unfortunately, there isn't a website that'll tell you if a given part of a transit trip could be effectively/reasonably replaced by biking. It's something you kind of have to put together on your own. Again, Citymapper does this to some extent (in that it will sometimes show a multimodal trip), but it's not perfect because I can't seem to make it reliably show multimodal trip options.
These are the main considerations I came up with regarding multimodal (bike + bus and/or train) trips.
The particular type of multimodal trip covered here is bike + bus and/or train.
Obviously, there will probably be some amount of walking involved too.
First, if your multimodal trip involves a bus, it is essential to know how to load and unload your bike on the bus. Otherwise, you would have to lock your bike at/near the bus stop and leave it there. Depending on the particular trip you're making, it may make sense to park your bike somewhere and transfer to transit, returning to your bike later. Other times, it makes more sense to bring the bike with you on the train or bus.
examples:
- Going to MC from home (an actual trip I make): MC has good bike parking, so it makes sense to bring the bike with me. I also sometimes bike to downtown Rockville from MC instead of taking the bus. There isn't really a good or convenient place to lock my bike near my starting bus stop.
- Going to Barnes and Noble on Rockville Pike from MC: I'd take the 46 from campus for this trip and the stop is relatively close to the destination. There isn't really any biking I'd need to do in the area of Barnes and Noble, so it'd make sense to leave my bike at MC and return for it later because I'd go back by MC on my way home. There also isn't very good bike parking at Barnes and Noble.
Generally speaking: If there's good bike parking at your destination and/or you might be making bike trips after you complete the transit portion of your trip, bring it with you. If you won't really have use for your bike after the transit portion of the trip, then it might be less of a hassle to park it at the bus stop or train station.
The vast majority of my trips are on Ride On (bus) and occasionally Metrorail. Both of these systems allow standard bicycles at all times (yay!). However, if you commute via MARC's Brunswick line or an MTA commuter bus, for example, regular (non-folding) bikes are not allowed so you would have to lock your bike somewhere prior to boarding. I'm not really familiar with the bike parking situation at area MARC stations, but you wouldn't be able to bring it on the train.
I don't really use bikeshare, but this could be an option if you don't take your bike on the bus or train but have access to bikeshare at your destination and want to make bike trips. Another type of multimodal trip could involve biking to a destination and then taking transit for the return trip.
The basic technique for loading and unloading a bike on a bus can be conveyed in a video, but being able to do it swiftly and smoothly does take some practice. If you do it often enough, you'll get better at it.
One of the key things here is finding the best locations to hold while lifting the bike up. Depending on the geometry of your particular bike, this will vary a bit. Some bikes have geometry that offers better grab points for lifting. Make sure you don't hit yourself in the face with the handlebars. It could be useful to practice lifting your bike at home and test out the easiest way to hold it.
example:
- For my main transportation bike, I grab the handlebars near the stem with one hand and the seat tube with the other hand to lift it. [photo to come???]
Given that you'll be lifting the bike a foot or so off the ground to load/unload it on the bus, a 50-lb. Dutch bike might not be the best choice for a multimodal trip where you take the bike on transit. If you have a choice in what kind of bike you'll take, it's probably better to choose a lighter bike that's easier to lift. On the other hand, if you're riding a heavy bike, it might make more sense to park the bike and then take transit.
Remove anything on the bike that might fall off before you get on the bus. I would take water bottles out of the cages and items out of any open baskets. I leave my lights on the bike. I don't use a rack, but if I did, I'd probably take off whatever was on the rack and carry it with me on the bus. Related to this, because I take my bike on the bus often, I haven't attached a lot of stuff to it. Big side baskets/panniers, a front basket/rack and/or a noodle would potentially interfere with being able to easily take it on the bus or train.
On the train and in the train station: WMATA/Metrorail
If you're taking your bike on the train, getting to the platform will involve the stairs/elevator/escalator. This also applies if you transfer buses (as I do) at a station that has bus plazas on both sides and you have to go through the station to transfer.
Although you're supposed to use the elevators if you have a bike, WMATA's elevators (at least in the older stations) are tiny. Sometimes they smell bad. They can be kind of slow. They can be hard to find. Other people might be using them. They might be out of order. Even if you're the only person in the elevator, a regular-sized adult bike will be a tight fit, especially if it has a longer wheelbase. In short, the elevator is often a hassle.
I generally avoid using the elevator (unless I'm feeling particularly tired) and take the escalator or stairs, even though you're not technically supposed to. If there's a crowd of people that will soon clear up, I try to wait until they've gone before I go.
Going up, I take the escalator and stand because it's harder to carry a 30-something-lb bike up the stairs. I stand next to the bike and hold onto the handlebars with both hands to steady the bike. This generally takes up most of the width of the escalator, although it might be possible for a determined person to squeeze past.
Going down (if it's a relatively short flight of stairs), I usually carry the bike and walk. If it's a long escalator, I stand and hold the bike by the handlebars.
Use the accessible fare gates because they are wider.
In the train, the best place to go with a bike is towards the end of the cars. Unfortunately, the interior layout of Metro trains doesn't have any designated space for bicycles. 7000 series trains are a bit easier to bring a bike on because they don't have the vertical poles in the area near the doors like the older trains. Some (but not all) of the older trains have been partially renovated (decarpeted) and these vertical poles have been removed.
A kickstand is useful to have on the train although you'll still have to hold onto the bike somewhere to keep it from falling over. If possible, try to angle the bike so that it'll be easier to roll it off the train when it's time to get off.
Planning the multimodal trip:
In short, this is something you more or less have to put together on your own. Know the available transit options and decide if there's any portion of your trip that might be more efficient to bike.
example:
- Taking a bus to Shady Grove station, then biking from Shady Grove station to MC. This saves me a transfer and can be quicker because it means I don't have to wait to transfer.
As it stands, I'm not aware of any particularly good websites or apps that provide good multimodal trip planning. Citymapper may be the best option, but even then, it isn't brilliant. What I generally do is use a trip planner (like Google Maps or Citymapper) for the transit segment and then plan the bike segment as a separate trip. It's a bit of a hassle, but I don't know of a better solution.
Planning a trip like that means you have to be at least somewhat familiar with the available transit options and be able to decide if there's a segment that might be better suited to biking. Then you plan that biking segment separately.
I like cycle.travel for general bike trip planning. I think it's superior to Google Maps. You can plan freeform routes with cycle.travel and it provides better elevation information -- it shows the percentage of the incline instead of something like "186ft to 293 ft."
Unfortunately, there isn't a website that'll tell you if a given part of a transit trip could be effectively/reasonably replaced by biking. It's something you kind of have to put together on your own. Again, Citymapper does this to some extent (in that it will sometimes show a multimodal trip), but it's not perfect because I can't seem to make it reliably show multimodal trip options.
These are the main considerations I came up with regarding multimodal (bike + bus and/or train) trips.
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