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Sprinter touted as bridge for bicycle travel
By: DAVE DOWNEY - Staff Writer | ∞
When cyclist Bob Kiger looks at the 22-mile Sprinter light-rail line under construction between Oceanside and Escondido, he sees more than tracks.
The 60-year-old Oceanside man envisions a new public-transit system that not only coaxes commuters out of cars and onto trains, but spurs many to leave their automobiles home all day.
Eagerly looking forward to the line's scheduled debut in December 2007, Kiger said in an interview last week that he has a vision for a bicycle network that would piggyback onto the Sprinter and provide a way for people to pedal to the train station ---- and then pedal to work or another destination once off the train.
In one sense, the bicycle connection already is built into Sprinter plans. Each train car will come equipped with slots for storing two bikes, and each station will have lockers for at least eight bikes, said Tom Kelleher, a spokesman for the North County Transit District, the agency building the line.
However, Kiger's vision is grander. The man who friends call "Cruiser Bob" suggests the slots and lockers won't be enough to accommodate all the cyclists who will want to use the train to leverage and lengthen bike rides. And, so, he intends to ask the district to consider putting, at each station, a concessionaire that would rent bikes for the day.
He didn't have cost estimates, but was confident such a program would be well-positioned to win a federal grant.
Kiger, who pedals around Oceanside with his 8-pound female Pomeranian "Maile" in a basket, says the bike concessions would be to the Sprinter what the rental car system is to the nation's major airports.
The vision doesn't stop there. Kiger imagines the Sprinter as being a catalyst for a cycling concession network that would expand to include the Coaster commuter line, which runs between Oceanside and downtown San Diego, and Metrolink, which operates in several Southern California counties.
"We're in a prime position to model something for the entire country," he said. "Southern California is the world's most populated automotive society. If we can make even a 2 percent dent in the Southern California commuting population and get them onto bicycles, we will have done something extremely important."
Kelleher said the concept is intriguing.
"Something like that could be pretty cool at Cal State San Marcos," he said.
The perfect time to pitch the idea to public officials, Kelleher said, will be in September, when the transit agency holds a round of workshops to consider the best potential use of space at its Oceanside, Carlsbad Village and Escondido transit centers.
The workshops are scheduled for Sept. 13 at the Carlsbad Senior Center, Sept. 14 in the Community Room at Oceanside City Hall Plaza, and Sept. 18 in the Mitchell Room at Escondido City Hall. Each is to run from 6 to 8 p.m.
Sprinter, a $375 million project being built with a combination of federal, state and regional funding, will have 15 train stations. The line was originally supposed to open by the end of 2005. Now the first passengers on its sleek, diesel-powered cars can expect to board late next year.
In addition to the tracks, construction has begun on a parallel bicycle-pedestrian path dubbed the Inland Rail Trail.
This is not Kiger's first grand idea.
In January 1983, he pioneered a popular, breathtaking, 40-mile downhill bicycle ride for tourists from the top of Maui's 10,023-foot Mount Haleakala ---- with its sweeping 360-degree panoramic views ---- to the sparkling Pacific Ocean below.
Based on his experience in Hawaii, Kiger figures his Sprinter initiative would lure more bicycle/train commuters if they got lifts to their hilltop homes at the end of the workday. So he suggests concessionaires should provide shuttle service, too.
"That's the key thing ---- to make it easier for them, because we are inherently set in our ways and somewhat lazy," he said.
Despite being set in our driving ways, Kiger is convinced the idea will catch on as did the volcano cruise.
"People ---- some people ---- will do it," he said. "And those people will be the fit people and the young ones and the cool ones, and pretty soon it will catch on and everybody else will be doing it."
Readers are encouraged to ask questions and submit ideas for commuter columns. Staff writer Dave Downey may be reached at (760) 740-5442 or ddowney@nctimes.com. For the latest traffic conditions, go to www.nctimes.com/traffic.
Oside Don wrote on Aug 14, 2006 5:35 AM:This a great idea, western Europe has been doing this for decades, I think its time the US started leaving the car at home!!
Laughing out loud.. wrote on Aug 14, 2006 10:22 AM:Oh come on. Two bikes per train car? What a joke. Whats a guy supposed to do if he gets there and it's full? "Oh well.. go home" Sorry, can't plan for that. Oh, just go lock it up, then what? Federal subsidies to rent bikes at stations? Might as well drive. Too much hassle. Until NCTD gets it's head out of it's arse, public transportiation in North San Diego County is practically useless. Do this. Actually try to go to work on a bus. Especially if it involves a transfer. Even worse, say- stay in the same city. Go from Oceanside Blvd. to Airport Road and Mission. What a waste of time. Busses on hour only schedules. Get with the times.
George wrote on Aug 14, 2006 2:10 PM:Two bicycles per car, just like the San Diego Trolley (which bans bicycles during rush hour commutes)? Getting to the station, commuters will be using bicycles, scooters, and segways in addition to cars! But they'l have to leave them behind to travel to their destination and be stranded when they get there. What's needed is a transportation-friendly car on each train especially designed to secure these bicycles, mopeds, electric scooters and their passengers. Something similar to the poles used by exotic dancers, spaced at appropriate intervals with permanently attached belts secured by velcro around the item, would probably do the trick. Since the big worry is escaping fumes and the occasional fuel spill, the extra car will need to be windowless and have a pattern of holes in the floor to prevent pools from forming. How hard can it be? The only downside is if the experiment is successful and NCTD has to order more of the transportation-friendly cars.
CruiserBob wrote on Aug 14, 2006 3:17 PM:The article presented here is only the beginning of a comprehensive plan that has been in the works here and on Maui for 25 years. Regards Federal funding . . . see SAFETEA-LU I agree with LOL that 2 bikes per car is very poor planning. Even the Coaster and Metrolink have four on some cars and more are needed. We are hoping that the North County Times will allow more space for a full articulation of the plan but thank them for this good beginning.
FYI wrote on Aug 14, 2006 5:42 PM:The purpose of the $500,000,000 plus Sprinter, with fares to be subsidized by the taxpayers that make enough money to keep driving their cars, is to provide transportation for low income people and students. How many taxpaying middle income people can and will use the Sprinter to go to and from work and leave their car in the garage?? Or ride a bike to the Sprinter station and then to work??
Deathwish wrote on Aug 14, 2006 5:48 PM:People in San Diego drive like maniacs. They have absolutely no respect for cyclists, and ZERO respect for the bike lanes. This isn't Europe, they don't have to worry about maniac soccer moms with Yukons driving 50 mph in the right turn lane (oh, excuse me, that's the BIKE LANE) while yakking on their cell phones over there. We do. Sorry, I don't have a Deathwish, you won't find me riding to work anytime soon.
Not gonna work wrote on Aug 14, 2006 6:33 PM:Until mass transit is less of a hassle than driving no one will use it. Try geting anywhere on NCTD, it is a nightmare that takes hours. Another tax funded boondoggle. How much of the cost went to the UCSM spur when an express bus between UCSM and Palomar could of done the same thing. One bus two stops that would mean a bus every 15 minutes. ARRGGGG!!!! More of my money wasted.
to Deathwish wrote on Aug 14, 2006 7:26 PM:Bicyclists in San Diego ride like maniacs. They run red lights and stop signs constantly, have little to no respect for pedestrians, and should learn that all traffic laws apply to them also. It goes both ways.
Al wrote on Aug 14, 2006 8:26 PM:Mass transit is a good thing when it services a high density urban center. That is not what we have here in the North County. We are too spread out here. I'll probably ride it once or twice during the summer over to O'side for some hours at the beach but not to work everyday, no chance.
LegalLabNerd wrote on Aug 14, 2006 9:09 PM:Can anyone say Boondoggle??????? This whole Sprinter thing is a joke..it's a train to nowhere in Escondido..so is everyone going to come West to Oceanside in the morning? NCTD has been just awful about working with neighborhoods..why should they care any more about bicyclists?
Walt wrote on Aug 14, 2006 10:24 PM:For bikes to be useful, emphasis should be on lateral bikelanes to each station. Instead $ millions are going to the Inland Rail Trail PARALLEL to the rail line. Sounds like more TransNet money for recreational bike riding----- or maybe to race the train Oceanside to Escondido. Wonder which would win?
huh? wrote on Aug 16, 2006 1:04 PM:"similar to the poles used by exotic dancers" what are you smoking?
CruiserBob wrote on Aug 16, 2006 5:01 PM:Goodness . . . there is a lot of negativity in the air. Let's work through it. In Davis, California 20-25% of all commuting trips are done by bicycle. Cal State San Marcos is attempting to emulate that positive success and they are located right next to the new Sprinter lines so a lot of young people can use Sprinter/bikes to college. Part of the perception of bicylclists riding like maniacs is that they are trying to conserve their angular momentum. While it may be convenient for cars to stop and start every 38 feet, it is more difficult for cyclists. The solution is to find the best separate routes for cyclists. In coastal Oceanside Cleveland Street is seldom traveled by cars and so it is a perfect north/south route. As to "a train to nowhere in Escondido" tell that to the tens of thousands of motorist who clog Hwy 78 everday going nowhere! There is an entire plan for presenting solutions to lateral bikelanes that is in the works. Rome wasn't built in a day. It's taken nearly 50 years for the automotive culture to nearly bury north county. Why not give rail/bicyclists a few months to begin their strategy for repairing the damage. And what do "poles, "exotic dancers" and "smoking" have to do with bicycle commuting???
RC wrote on Aug 16, 2006 10:46 PM:I'll be the first to try it--anything to avoid my daily round-trip I-78 commute to San Marcos. Someone should compile a list of I-78 horror stories for the September meeting. We need visionaries like Bob. Details can be worked out. We have to start somewhere. Let's think positively.
To To Death Wish wrote on Aug 17, 2006 1:35 PM: You have a point, but I'd rather be in the Yukon getting t-boned by the bike than the other way around!
SB wrote on Aug 17, 2006 5:15 PM:I applaud North County and all communities allocating resources toward making areas more cyclist friendly. It seems that once main biking routes are established lateral routes will develop, leading to more comprehensive routes. Like RC stated…We have to start somewhere. I take Amtrak regularly along the southern coast and would find it most helpful to have bike rentals at the train stations. What a neat idea! I have also cycled in Europe and China and really appreciate the separate bike lanes. I look forward to greater cycling opportunities in North County!
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