The Chainlink

I haven't, but I am wondering how bike-friendly they are. What has your experience been like?

http://www.chicagotribune.com/classified/automotive/ct-met-getting-...

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Even if one is not obese, winter coats add a few inches to everyone.  People who may fit side by side in those spaces in summer clothes may not fit in winter.  Your "solution" seems like overkill, given the frequency of CTA service.

It's not MY solution.  I just wondered if it would be fair -since bikes are banned at rush hour and if someone from the CTA says it is "too crowded."

I like the inward facing seats. There is a lot more room for bikes. Plus it is easier to sit with your bike.

I've experienced the new cars 3 or 4 times now and like them for the most part.  People no longer bunch up at the doorways, preventing entrance or egress.  The new train cars facilitate a more even distribution of standees throughout the car.  In fact there's a nice open "plaza"-like space near the door, where It's very easy to stand (not sure, but it may be intended for wheelchairs).  Downsides: if you're sitting, you may get squashed between people, but standing is much easier on these new train cars, so that's maybe a better option.  I'm guessing most folks will leave an empty seat on each side, unless the train is jam packed.  If you're sitting, you get butts & crotches in the face, another reason to stand.  I like never getting caught stuck inside at a window seat having to ask your seatmate to stand when exiting, like the old layout seating.  The thing I miss most with the new cars is the ability to just sit and look out the window; now if you look across and out the window, people across from you will think you're staring at them.

I haven't yet tried it with a bike, and to be honest, I'd still probably bring the folding bike on the L rather than a full-sized bike, just for ease of movement. 

I brought my bike on a cta train once - never again. There is simply no room for a bike anywhere on an el car - even with the center-facing seats. They are just too much of an imposition on everyone else who rides the train. I've never understood putting bikes on busses and trains, anyway - you have your bike, ride it!

Barry, I think you're neglecting to consider the many of us who use bikes as a commuting tool in a whole toolbox of multimodal travel options.  I have two main clients, each of which is 25 miles or more away from my home, each in opposite directions (I'm positioned midway between them).  For those of us older folks who may not be athletes, a 50 mile daily ride bookending a long day of work, particularly in rough weather, simply isn't a good option.  For many of us, public transit is our main travel mode and using our bikes is for the first and last few miles, from station to destination.  We all use our bikes differently.
 
Barry Aldridge said:

I've never understood putting bikes on busses and trains, anyway - you have your bike, ride it!

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