The Maryland Transit Administration yesterday announced that its bike policy has been expanded to allow personally owned e-scooters and e-bikes on MARC Trains, effective December 1.
Beginning Wednesday, riders can bring personal foldable electronic scooters and electronic bikes weighing less than 50 pounds onto transit modes that already make accommodations to carry collapsible and full-size bicycles, according to a press release.
“As transportation continues to evolve, MDOT MTA understands the importance of offering transit options that fit our customers’ growing needs,” said MDOT MTA Administrator Holly Arnold in a statement. “Making it easy for our customers to bring e-scooters and e-bikes onto transit demonstrates our commitment to providing a more satisfactory door-to-door travel experience, while expanding our riders’ travel options to and from our transit modes.”
“We’re seeing more and more customers using e-bikes and e-scooters on our systems as part of daily commutes and everyday activities,” MDOT Secretary Greg Slater said. “As we modernize Maryland’s transportation network, integration of the various modes of transportation with a seamless experience is a critical component. Whether you’re walking to a bus stop, driving to a transit hub, riding your bike to work or any of the various combinations of travel options, we have to continually eliminate barriers to travel. Today’s policy expansion is one more step.”
Safety measures that vary for each mode have been established, according to MTA. For example, boarding a vehicle with an e-bike/scooter may be restricted when passenger volume is already at or over capacity. Gas-powered bicycles and scooters are prohibited, regardless of whether they are also battery-powered. Additionally, charging e-scooters and e-bikes on a train car or at a station is never allowed.
Safety standards for riders boarding with personally-owned e-scooters and e-bikes on MARC Trains include:
- Collapsible e-bicycles and folding e-scooters are not permitted to be stowed in overhead storage bins
- Riders boarding with standard e-bicycles must use bike cars and bring two bungee cords on every trip to secure the bike
The full list of safety standards for personally owned e-scooters and e-bikes can be found on MTA’s website.
Photo: © Aleksandra Suzi/Adobe Stock