Use of bike racks on county buses doubles in 2011
Use of bike racks on Milwaukee County buses has doubled in 2011, and the Milwaukee County Transit System projects the total number of bikes on buses will approach 100,000 for the year.
Through Sept. 30, drivers recorded 68,541 bikes racked on buses, more than double the 33,615 counted in the first nine months of 2010. Use of the racks hit a high of 13,920 in August.
Critics of the racks, which cost $405,000 when installed in 2009, have argued the usage has been minimal and not enough to justify the spending.
The numbers released Wednesday show usage moving closer to the numbers advocates for the racks had predicted.
At 100,000 per year, the number of bikes racked on buses would meet the early projections from bus system managers, but remain short of the 200,000 touted by the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin. The advocacy group led the lobbying for the spending and installation.
“Critics will be quick to point out that even 100,000 boardings is only half the original projection of 200,000 annual bicycle boardings,” said Kevin Hardman, Executive Director of the bike federation. “But those early projections did not factor in an economic recession of the magnitude we have been living with for the last few years.”
Hardman added that the down economy has resulted in a slowdown in driving cars as well, even though traffic engineers predicted much larger annual increases.
Providing riders an option of bringing a bike expands the reach of the bus system, according to Jacqueline Janz, spokeswoman for MCTS.
MCTS bus stops are within walking distance for 85% of county residents, and 99% of county residents are within biking distance.
With Bikes on Buses, MCTS is able to give customers a public transportation option that promotes a more sustainable and healthier lifestyle, Janz said. Bike racks make it even easier for MCTS passengers to leave their car at home for their workday commute, head out to explore Milwaukee County parks and bike trails, or enjoy a bike ride on their lunch break.
The usage is tracked by the drivers, who record each time a bike is racked on a bus. MCTS estimates the drivers undercount the total usage by about 15%.
In all of 2010, drivers recorded 47,995 bikes on buses. Through Sept. 30 this year, the drivers recorded 68,541 uses.
On a monthly average, usage increased from 3,999 to 5,711.
At that pace, usage for the year would hit roughly 85,000, short of the 100,000 MCTS officials touted in a release. That 100,000 figure would be reached if the monthly usage continues on a pace double that in 2010.
32 Comments for "Use of bike racks on county buses doubles in 2011"
As to the 68,000 or so uses isn't exactly correct. If people are using the bus to get from home to where ever, biking to where ever and then returning the same way, it's around 35,000 round trip riders so the numbers aren't that huge. It's still more than I thought but it's not earth shattering to me.
jimtherepublican Oct 26, 2011 4:40 PM
Adamsrib Oct 26, 2011 4:43 PM
But I did see a bike on a bus once.. But it was in Madison. Never in Milwaukee.
Wisconsinite Oct 26, 2011 5:46 PM
Wisconsinite Oct 26, 2011 6:09 PM
The racks cost $405,000, but 95% of the money was federal, and only 5% ($20,250) came from MCTS.
In the 21 months thru September 2011, there have been over 116,000 recorded bike rack uses (I'll ignore the purported 15% undercount--I don't need it to prove my point). If those 116,000 bus riders each paid $1.75 (the discounted ticket price), MCTS took in over $200,000 in fare money from these riders SO FAR.
A $20,000 one-time County outlay that brings in over $200,000 (and counting) makes financial sense to me.
What's NOT to like about the bike racks??
TransitRider Oct 26, 2011 10:01 PM
SMCMAC32 Oct 26, 2011 10:25 PM
In 2010, MCTS provided over 1.3 million hours of bus service--an average of over 3600 hours of bus service daily. If all these numbers are correct (and the 20 minute figure was a total guess), about one MCTS bus in forty should have a racked bike at any given moment.
TransitRider Oct 27, 2011 1:20 AM
Wheelchairs (especially on older, high-floor buses) cost MUCH more time than a bike or two.
TransitRider Oct 27, 2011 2:47 AM
The roads look pretty empty when it's not rush hour, and the buses are pretty full when it is.
ModelCitizen Oct 27, 2011 7:24 AM
ModelCitizen Oct 27, 2011 7:26 AM
I'm sure you don't care. Why so much hate for bicycles? Did we keep you from turning right on red? I usually try to make room, so be on the lookout for bicyclists… a lot of us are on the lookout for you.
ModelCitizen Oct 27, 2011 7:35 AM
ModelCitizen Oct 27, 2011 7:38 AM
B) Just because some money comes from the Feds doesn't mean that less is coming from all of our pockets. The last time I checked I also paid Federal taxes. The contribution per person is not only the $20,250 dollars the county paid but a portion of the Federal taxes we all pay.
Fact remains, just another big waste of tax payer money.
khsruns Oct 27, 2011 11:02 AM
I have used the bike racks 24 times and it was all new business for the bus company. A relatively modest percentage of the bike rack users being new business would more than cover the $20K MCTS cost. While I can't prove that new business covers the MCTS cost, you can’t prove that it doesn’t.
DarrellG Oct 27, 2011 12:48 PM