Testing the in-bus bike racks on the new RapidRide G
The RapidRide G started service this past week, promising six-minute headways between downtown and Madison Valley via Madison Street. But you go to other sites to learn about the implications for transit service. I'm here to talk about the bike racks inside the buses.
That's right, inside. The new RapidRide G buses have a couple tricks that no other bus in Seattle has. First, it has doors on both sides, which are needed to serve the center platforms on Madison Street the way the First Hill Streetcar does on Jackson Street. Second, it has bike racks inside the coach rather than on the front. So I of course had to try it out.
OK OK, Snohomish County transit riders, I hear you yelling, Swift has had those racks for years!" It's true. Community Transit's Swift bus rapid transit coaches have very similar bike racks inside. But this is the first time such a bike rack has been used by King County Metro. These SpinLock" racks are made by the Woodinville-based company Sportworks, which also makes the racks for the front of buses. In fact, Sportworks pioneered the whole bike racks on buses idea, and King County Metro was among the first to roll them out fleet-wide.
Anyway, back to RapidRide G. People with bikes should enter through the back door, which is clearly marked on the side of the bus. All riders can tap readers on the platform or inside the bus to pay, so there is no need to go up front by the driver at all. Once inside, lift the front wheel up enough to roll it into the bike rack. An arm on top with a wheel on it will automatically hold the wheel in place, so once the wheel settles into the groove of the rack, you're done. It is significantly easier to use than the racks on the front of the bus because you only need to lift the front wheel and do not need to operate the arm to hold it in place.
To exit, I just pulled back on the handlebars and it came out. However, my bike has a front rack that prevented the arm from going all the way forward (though it still held it in place just fine). Illustrated instructions say you may need to push the arm away from your bike in order to get it out.
There is one catch, though. Two of the racks are taller and one is shorter. The taller rack squished my front fender. It still worked, and my fender was not damaged, but it's not ideal. When I moved to the shorter rack, there was plenty of clearance for the fender. Since it just barely squished my fender, other fenders may not have this issue.
The taller rack squished my fender.
The shorter rack fixed my fender issue. Neither King County Metro nor SDOT have a published set of bike restrictions specific to the new RapidRide G coaches, so presumably the same rules for both bike rack styles. The standard rules for bikes on Metro buses say they must be conventional single-seat bikes with two wheels weighing 55 lbs or less with wheel sizes between 16'' and 29'' in diameter, tires 3'' or less in width, and wheel base of 46'' or less. Many electric bikes will exceed the weight limit, though you are allowed to remove the battery and carry it with you if that brings the weight under the limit. Ask your local bike shop if they have a scale if you want to test it.
Perhaps more than any other bus in the city, the RapidRide G is one hell of a bike elevator. From downtown to the top of the hill at 17th and Madison, the bus climbs 370 feet in just a mile and a half and takes about 16 minutes to do it. To put this climb in context, the highest point of elevation in the entire state of Florida is 345 feet. For just $2.75, you can use the RapidRide G as a bicycle chair lift for two hours. Wheee!