The Chainlink

Metra has updated their website

For those who haven;t noticed, Metra has updated their website. One thing I noticed is in the bikes on trains section there are no blackout dates listed. This may be because there are no more blackout dates for the rest of the year, but it has been my experience that the tab was always visible, and now there is no tab. Sooooo just a heads up to call ahead.

www.metrarail.com

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Permalink Reply by Ryan on September 11, 2009 at 8:44am
Metra has also added the upcoming train announcements over the PA at all of their stations (at least, all of the ones I use). It's nice to know that Metra has finally joined the rest of us in the 21st century. My favorite part is that the incessant "beep beep beep" indicating an upcoming announcement has been axed. That was the most annoying thing ever.

Oh, and you can buy tickets online.... even with CREDIT (or debit) CARDS!!! Wow.

I wonder how long the ticket hole punches are going to last. I'd like to see the conductors walking around with laser eyeball scanners.
Permalink Reply by Julie Aberman (Hochstadter) on September 23, 2009 at 12:07pm
looks like the site is down.....
Permalink Reply by Julie Aberman (Hochstadter) on September 23, 2009 at 12:43pm
up again! Phew.
Permalink Reply by Eric R on September 23, 2009 at 1:01pm
I had an unpleasant experience the other day (Labor Day) where a conductor told me that I could not take my bike on an inbound train.

It was a three-day weekend and the website said nothing about no bikes on three day weekends, but they were not allowed on Sat and Sun because of Jazz Fest. Eventually they let me and two other cyclists on the train car then another conductor said that if a handicapped individual got on the train we would have to get off, to which I replied, you mean on another car and he said no off the train that only three bikes were allowed on the train on weekends, to which I said the website said nine bikes unless it was a black out date. I believe they booted another bicyclist off the train that got on another car, he would have made four bikes.

Needless to say a coherent - and polite - letter was written to the board of directors and customer service.
Permalink Reply by cutifly on September 23, 2009 at 1:47pm
That's why I give them candy and tell them stupid jokes, seriously they like the candy better than my humor. This is Chicago and you gotta bribe everyone still to get away with things.
Permalink Reply by igz on September 23, 2009 at 2:00pm
ya know...as for bikes...they state only 2 bikes per car...but regularly allow many many more. ive seen up to 10. i hear that some lines are more strict than others about this, but regardless, i am thankful they do allow more. it just has me worried that something may happen (accident, complaint, bike-nazi management) that will no longer allow more than the rules suggest. then what?

and as far as black out dates...i got some shit to say on this. last time around during Taste', all bikes were banned on all trains at all times (other than folding bikes stashed in bags). i photo-documented every day, both inbound and out, at the availability of regular seats and ADA seats (where bikes are kept). everyday they were EMPTY. i get that volume on Metra increases during such events, but that doesnt mean it makes sense to create a blanket rule like that accross the boards. i was going to email those pics to Metra documenting the vacancies that can accommodate the bikes, but Metra only takes snail mail correspondence. additionally, i lost the photos due phone issues. it would be great if they analyze ridership increases via ticket sales and take that into consideration for future black out date planning. maybe some lines need the black outs and others dont. Monday through Thursday doesnt need to be blacked out. Friday and the weekend, i get. Maybe this could be an issue for ATA to tackle??

i take the Milwaukee West line as a reverse commuter.

thoughts?
Permalink Reply by LarryN on September 23, 2009 at 7:59pm
It all depends on the conductor. I take the UP-NW on a reverse commute to Palatine. The conductor there, a man named Tom, is really cool about bikes and I've seen as many as 8 in a single car. He's allowed my folder on a black-out day without a bag. He's offered to let bikes on during black-out days if the biker isn't coming back that day ("the afternoon conductor will definitely not let you on the train, and I don't want you to get stuck out there"). He makes sure people follow the rules and that bikes are securely fastened ("our first lawsuit is our last bike"). Other conductors are also very pleasant and take no issue with you at all.

But not everybody is so nice... start to board a microsecond too soon and some guys will scream at you for not waiting; wait a microsecond too long and they scream at you for holding things up. I've heard them say on the intercom "ok, no more bikes" when there are plenty of open seats and already one bike (mine) in the car I was in. You can tell by the way they look at you that they just don't like bikes. Why is that? Did he not get that dream bike he so coveted for his birthday when he was a kid? Are his shorts on too tight? Or is he simply a born a-hole???

As far as crowds go, the most crowded the UP-NW gets is in the summer on game days (actually nights) when the Cubs are doing well (needless to say, not a problem after July...)

Metra has vastly reduced the number of black-out days since they started allowing bikes - in 2005 there were 6 or 7 weeks worth, now it's basically 1, during the Taste (I'm just counting weekdays). I would like to see that reduced, too!
Permalink Reply by cutifly on September 23, 2009 at 8:28pm
There is this one lady conductor on the Milwaukee line, she is older than me but I think she is cute especially when she wears her Sara Palin glasses.
Permalink Reply by Eric R on September 23, 2009 at 8:41pm
On this particular route, the Rock Island, on ADA train cars 3 bikes are allowed."Only three bicycles per ADA car on each diesel train will be allowed in designated priority seating areas; two for each equivalent Metra Electric car"... but overall 9 bikes were allowed on the entire train so the website states.

I understand the need for them to have their policies but conductors BS'ing me when I know what the website states is just bad customer service. Fortunately it all worked out that day, but I most likely will not be taking Metra again due to this experience.

iggi said:
ya know...as for bikes...they state only 2 bikes per car...but regularly allow many many more. ive seen up to 10. i hear that some lines are more strict than others about this, but regardless, i am thankful they do allow more. it just has me worried that something may happen (accident, complaint, bike-nazi management) that will no longer allow more than the rules suggest. then what?

and as far as black out dates...i got some shit to say on this. last time around during Taste', all bikes were banned on all trains at all times (other than folding bikes stashed in bags). i photo-documented every day, both inbound and out, at the availability of regular seats and ADA seats (where bikes are kept). everyday they were EMPTY. i get that volume on Metra increases during such events, but that doesnt mean it makes sense to create a blanket rule like that accross the boards. i was going to email those pics to Metra documenting the vacancies that can accommodate the bikes, but Metra only takes snail mail correspondence. additionally, i lost the photos due phone issues. it would be great if they analyze ridership increases via ticket sales and take that into consideration for future black out date planning. maybe some lines need the black outs and others dont. Monday through Thursday doesnt need to be blacked out. Friday and the weekend, i get. Maybe this could be an issue for ATA to tackle??

i take the Milwaukee West line as a reverse commuter.

thoughts?
Permalink Reply by vxla on September 23, 2009 at 11:51pm
Writing off Metra because of a bad experience? Forward thinking.
Permalink Reply by igz on September 28, 2009 at 12:35pm

Here is a positive example of Metra. We snuck on a Tandem, and had a bunch of other bikes. Conducter said, "wow!" and that was it, we were good to go. Its a combination of being nice, playing dumb, distractions, and concealment.
Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on March 21, 2010 at 12:18pm
Looks like we may have another update soon. I heard this news recently, but was told it wasn't for official release yet.

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