Even as we honor the work of BIKES ONboard, led by Dr. Shirley Johnson’s fervor for bikes and transit, we continue to see bikes getting “bumped” off Caltrain every single day.

What’s a “bump?” 

A “bump” is a term for when a passenger is denied boarding due to insufficient onboard bicycle capacity.

Caltrain has historically led the way with bike access on transit. They first introduced a dedicated bike car in 1992 as a demonstration project. Thanks to the advocacy of our members, Caltrain has increased bike capacity over 50% since 2009 so that all train cars now have two dedicated bike cars. Despite this, many passengers continue to get bumped every single day because of limited onboard capacity.

The bump report above shows that increase over the last three months. These reports are thanks to our members and the many riders who submit their bumps regularly. So many people depend on Caltrain to get to their jobs on time, to return home to their families and get from place to place. Each bump has an affect on someone’s day, and we continue to work to increase onboard bicycle capacity.

If you’re looking to help on this campaign, there are a few great ways to get involved. First, there is an opening on the Caltrain Bicycle Advisory Committee, which will begin to tackle the question of capacity. They meet every other month in San Carlos and advise Caltrain staff on bicycle-related issues. You can apply at their website here.

If you’re just looking to stay in the loop, join our BIKES ONboard campaign for updates. We also hope you can join us for our 22nd Annual Golden Wheel Awards where we will be honoring Shirley for her leadership in this campaign. For more information and ticket purchase, please visit our site here.