It's a terrific, environmentally-benign plan that should increase ridership, and one that should be lobbied for and, as necessary, improved.

Cyclists SkyTrain-courtesy will help make it work and encourage its acceptability by all passengers. Where several cyclists are aboard it would be helpful to inform each other where one intends to exit to reduce entanglements when leaving the train.

Can Translink not add an extra car at the end of the train to be for bikes and their riders only? They could take the seats out for more space and have straps hanging for the riders to hang on to. Then foot passengers wouldn't have to worry about getting grease on their clothes and the bikes won't be blocking the exits.

I can see the trouble Translink would have with designating an entire car for bikes only; that could be really inefficient at certain times.

What I think would work well would be to designate that bikes only be allowed in certain cars, for example, maybe only the last two cars on the Skytrain. These cars could be shared between cyclists and pedestrians who don't mind being around bikes.

This way, hose who don't want to risk a grease stain on their pants could have a guarantee this wouldn't happen, while Translink officials wouldn't need to worry about inefficient allocations of Skytrain cars.

It took Translink wayy too long to do what most every other city in Canada with a transit train system has been doing for years. Translink cannot ignore the demographics here where winter is like no where else in the country, where bikes are a viable transportation choice year-round. I think skytrain commuters have a greater likelihood of being accosted by a young thug or an armed skytrain cop than a grimy tire rubbing up against them.

There is no need to allocate special cars or renovate existing cars. The new relaxed rules are very common sense and long overdue. My experience is that most Skytrain commuters look upon cyclists with admiration as a healthy and eco-friendly member of the commuting public.

A couple corrections to the story, it was 2 bikes per train (designated to the last car and last doors) and now its 2 bikes per car in any door. As well bikes can travel during rush hour in the opposite direction of rush hour traffic.

My only negative comment to Translink/Skytrain is that there is insufficient warning and advertising of times when bikes are restricted.
Such was the case during Grey Cup Day where bikes were not allowed before and after the game. In my mind this festivity caused no more commuter useage than any other regular work day or where there might have been an event downtown like a concert or the like. Cyclist should not be singled out and deprived of using the system sensibly. Likewise the restrictions for the fireworks during the summer are ridiculous, not allowing bikes from 3pm till the end of the day, when the event doesn't even start till 10pm. I can understand from 6pm onwards but the current restrictions being used are too much.

Two bike per train car will be easy to manuver. What a wonderful thing, gone are the days of having to sneak bikes on like criminals. That will provide some relief for bikers and security guards.

This is when an innovative and progressive administration in charge of transportation would come in handy. I would think having one car that would accommodate all wheeled (eg bikes, wheelchairs, strollers) and/or otherwise encumbered passengers (such as those lugging/wheeling their groceries home) that have cleared the seats or provided some "fold-up" seats would be a welcome inclusion for everyone wanting to make better use of our public transportation. I don't think that would either be a wasted or unappreciated approach to this problem - and it wouldn't be very costly either.

This cries out for an unpowered, mid-train caboose. No need to go to Bombadier for that. That company, in my opinion, overcharge for everything. We have the craftspeople and know-how for such a simple construction.

The caboose could be used by the unencumbered at any time, but at their own risk - and if, of course, this doesn't exclude cyclists or others with prior entitlement.

I like the caboose idea as well...a designated "bike car" with no seats or folding seats would also allow cyclists to travel at rush hour without having to work around fixed seats and non-cyclists in a packed car. I've commuted by bike and by skytrain and taken a bike on skytrain, and I would have loved a designated car. Right now if it's busy, you have to move the bike on and off the train whenever people want to board, and it's really frustrating.

Well, apparently there a few of us who see an obvious solution - or at least one that warrants further exploration. Time to write to our newly elected councils, and share our thoughts on how there multi-million transportation upgrade can better serve the citizens who use them. This would let us witness how good they are at governing and whether we chose a competent crew.