Omaha buses to have bike racks
Wish Lincoln would get on this bandwagon.
“It’s a whole new program,” Simon said of the racks. “With what’s going on with gas (prices), this could be something that people really take advantage of.”
Over the next month or so, MAT will test two kinds of racks and decide which type to buy. The goal is to have all of the racks purchased and installed so that people can use them this summer and fall.
Simon said the bike racks will let people visit different trails without having to put racks on their cars.
“You could ride the bus to the Keystone Trail and then take the bus back home,” he said.
They also made a new bike map for Omaha
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Star Tran can’t afford the cost of the racks, which they said would cost $2,000 per bus. I find it hard to believe it would be that costly, but I’ll take them at their word.
I know I would use the bus more if bike racks were installed.
Comment by foxspit — April 21, 2008 @ 5:35 pm
Eh, Omaha is one thing, but in a town like Lincoln (and a flawed bus system like Star Tran) I wonder how far I’d have to live away from a destination before getting on the bus, then riding would be faster than just riding the whole way.
Guess that goes for anywhere, though. Plus I live in Near South and just about everything I need, including my office, is within a two-mile radius.
Comment by Thew — April 21, 2008 @ 7:23 pm
I thought star tran said they couldn’t put the racks on because they wouldn’t fit in the garage with them on. Either way, I think it would provide another option for potential riders and commuters in general. You could take the bus somewhere and then ride home if for instance the buses stopped running shortly after you arrived.
My hometown had bike racks and people used them all the time.
Comment by mo_feezy — April 22, 2008 @ 7:43 am
I am almost positive that TMCO or another Lincoln business could install racks on the buses for much less than the price Star Tran claims the racks would cost.
I think they just don’t want to deal with it. I heard that about the parking too. That, to me, is a pretty lame excuse.
Star Tran’s route schedules don’t mesh well with my work schedule. But if I could load my bike so I had a way to get home if I missed the bus, I would use Star Tran more often.
Comment by foxspit — April 22, 2008 @ 1:16 pm
When I worked at REI selling Bikes we sold the “car” version of the sportworks rack for $400. Why would it cost $1100 to be welded on?
http://www.bicycleracks.com/busrack_support_howto.asp
Comment by Wisco — April 23, 2008 @ 4:56 pm