Capitol Corridor Trains To Become More Bike Friendly

SACRAMENTO (CBS SF) - Caltrans will nearly double the bike storage space available on Capitol Corridor and San Joaquin trains over the next year, officials said Friday.

The state transit agency plans to increase the bicycle carrying capacity of 14 railcars from three bicycles per car to 13, and add 330 cubic feet of additional luggage storage as part of an $8.3 million conversion project, a spokesman said Friday.

"There's been a need for additional storage as more and more people ride bicycles on their commute," Caltrans Director Malcolm Dougherty said in a statement. "By the end of the year, more than a dozen expanded railcars will be available for train riders."

The change will increase the average bicycle capacity from 12 bikes per train to 22. Each car will take approximately four weeks to be retrofitted, and will be put into service as it is completed.

The first expanded car went into service Friday, officials said. Five cars in use in Northern and Southern California already have the new design, and future bi-level cars will also come with the extra space.

The conversion project will also improve accessibility by relocating restrooms to a location near the disabled seating area.

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