It's true that it's up to the driver but Van Galder does have a policy that states $10 for a bike & $5 for the bike if it's in a box. Badger has a policy that "due to size," it charges $10 for a bike to be stowed.
I've ranted before on Van Galder for charging me $5 for my Dahon folding bike, even when it's in its bag & I have an email from the owner stating that I should not have to pay. There's basically 1 driver who simply will not allow me to ride the bus unless I pay the $5 & doesn't care about the email. I've complained but there's been no solution for that 1 driver. I've had no issues w/Badger because their policy specifically states "due to size" & my folder is small. So yes, it would be basically up to the driver to allow a full-size bike on at no charge. Aaron ________________________________ From: Robbie Webber <[email protected]> To: Mark Evans <[email protected]> Cc: [email protected] Sent: Fri, November 12, 2010 2:13:18 PM Subject: Re: [Bikies] Bike And Ride I have been told that bikes-on-buses - both Van Galder and Badger - is up to the driver. Some are fine with it, especially if there is little luggage being stowed by other passenger. Others insist on an extra fee, but no box. Others insist on a box AND a fee. finally, during busy times, say holiday weekends, they may not let you put the bike on board at all, citing "space" issues. At one of the Long Range Transportation meetings where we had the WisDOT rep to talk to us about the rail project, I specifically asked about roll-on/roll-off service on the train. (National bike advocates have discovered that this is often controlled by the state DOT, not by Amtrak policy.) We were told in no uncertain terms that bikes would be accommodated without box or disassembling. There WOULD unquestionably be racks or hooks for bikes on the Madison-Milw. trains, and presumably on to Chicago. They also hastened to add that it wasn't just us (those crazy bike-geek, enviro-types in Madison) that were asking for this, but many business customers all along the way, other less-frequent riders, and... smaller communities that recognize the potential for attracting bicyclists to their burgs. Yea! Robbie Webber On Fri, Nov 12, 2010 at 1:24 PM, Mark Evans <[email protected]> wrote: Actually, my daughter and her boyfriend (a downtown Chicago bike messenger) are able to stow their bikes in the luggage compartment of the Van Galder... and I don't think they pay any extra. But I'd much rather ride the rails > >ME > > >On 11/12/2010 1:09 PM, Troy Thiel wrote: >Yes, the ability to access HSR to get to Chicago, Milwaukee, >Minny, heck anywhere is a big plus about the expanded rail >potentials for tourism..as it is here for folks in that market >coming HERE..aka THE best place to Road Ride in the midwest.... >> >>The cost to take apart and ship with air travel, or bus >>travel >>is extremely expensive. I did meet one great Bike Builder >>who >>has created a line of bikes that are easily collapsable due >>to >>some cool frame and cable fitting strategies and fit into >>normal >>luggage, circumventing the extra charges that make travelling >>by >>bike prohibitive...check them out at >> >>http://www.andersoncustombicycles.com/ >> >>Wish I had time to bike now..nice out! but work calls..darn >> >>Have a great weekend, Troy >> >> >>Troy Thiel >>First Weber's Capitol Office >>Over $75 Million Sold! >>222 West Washington Avenue, Suite 20 >>Madison, WI 53703 >> >>www.TroyThiel.com >>Phone: 347-9670 Fax: 663-8040 >>email: [email protected] >> >> >> >>--- On Fri, 11/12/10, [email protected] <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> >>>From: [email protected] <[email protected]> >>>Subject: Re: [Bikies] Bike And Ride >>>To: [email protected], [email protected] >>>Date: Friday, November 12, 2010, 12:19 PM >>> >>> >>>> On a totally non-political topic... I think I have heard >>>> that >>>>the trains >>>> >>>> may have 'roll on' options for bicycles. Roll bike on in >>>>Madison, train >>>> >>>> to Milwaukee, 'roll off' bike and bike around lakefront, >>>>visit art >>>> >>>> museum, festival grounds, then roll back on and train >home. >>> >>>Keep in mind that getting passenger rail service wouldn't >>>just >>>be a way to >>>travel to/from Milwaukee. It also means that you could do >>>the >>>same kind of >>>trip to Chicago (something that seems to get overlooked in >>>the >>>debate on >>>the topic). You'd get there faster than VanGalder bus and >>>have more time >>>for activity at your destination--and wouldn't have to >>>deal >>>with what I've >>>read to be VanGalder's somewhat bike-unfriendly policies. >>> >>>(Don't misinterpret this as a total slam on VanGalder. I've taken >>>VanGalder both to ORD and to downtown Chicago, and find it >>>to >>>be a much >>>better service than the agonisingly slow and increasingly >>>expensive Badger >>>Bus to MKE. Still, its a slower trip to Chicago than a >>>train >>>would be and >>>it's easy to get impatient and just want to be out of a >>>cramped bus seat by >>>that last hour of the trip.) >>> >>> >>> >>> >>>-------------------------------------------------------------------- >>>mail2web - Check your email from the web at >>>http://link.mail2web.com/mail2web >>> >>> >>>_______________________________________________ >>>Bikies mailing list >>>[email protected] >>>http://lists.danenet.org/listinfo.cgi/bikies-danenet.org >>> >> -- M Evans Madison WI BLOG this and that http://papawheelie.wordpress.com/ >_______________________________________________ >Bikies mailing list >[email protected] >http://lists.danenet.org/listinfo.cgi/bikies-danenet.org > >
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