[SDCBC] Sprinter is Sprinting

[mark wolfe]

How's the speed from end to end?   I found that when I worked downtown, 
I could ride from Santee to Balboa Park (Navy Hospital) faster than I 
could take the Trolley from Santee.

Right now to go from Santee to City College is 1 hour and 17 minutes. 
To ride my bike to the trolley station from the house is about 7 minutes 
(I live by Santana HS), add another 5 minutes at the other end, so I'm 
about 1:30 total travel time end to end.  The total distance via bike is 
  just under 20 miles, and I was consistently in the 1 - 1:05 range 
after about a month or so at 3 times a week.  I think most of us on this 
list could ride that route in less than 1:30.  So I don't see the 
benefit of bikes on trains for other than long trips where the train 
will save you time.  The coaster is an exception as it is packed daily, 
and a TON of people in the north county toss their bike on it at one end 
and get off in places south then finish the ride in.

IMHO, the Trolley and Sprinter along with most public transportation is 
a huge waste of my tax $$$.   Kind of like the empty city buses driving 
around.  While it's nice, only parts of the line really get used. 
Downtown South to the border, and Downtown East to about 25th street, 
after that it empties pretty darn quick.  After being overseas and 
seeing what real public transportation is, what we have stateside 
outside of NYC is a joke.  For public transportation to be useful, you 
should be able to walk outside your door, go a couple blocks, get on a 
FAST train, then get off a couple blocks from your destination.   Works 
great for Urban areas, not so great for the suburbs.

Mark




John Eldon wrote:
> A clarification regarding Coaster bicycle accommodation capacity -- pay attention to the serial numbers on the coaches, viz:
> 
> The sixteen original coaches, numbered 22xx (mid-train coaches) and 23xx (control cabs), have two bicycle tie-downs each, but there is ad-hoc room for up to four additional bikes (no tie-downs) at the opposite end of the coach, if no one is sitting on the longitudinal fold-down seats. It is probably a good idea to carry a spare bungie cord or two when traveling by Coaster.
> 
> The six somewhat newer 240x series coaches have two bicycle tie-downs by the marked bicycle doors and four additional tie-downs at the other end. If your train happens to have a 240x coach, use it.
> 
> The newest coaches, the 250x series, have three bicycle tie-downs under the stairwell adjacent to the marked bicycle entrance.
> 
> In practice, Coaster conductors are bike-friendly and reasonable. If the official spaces are taken, stand with your bike near one of the doorways, and move as needed at each station stop to let people enter and exit. Be considerate and polite, and you should never have a problem bringing your bike onboard -- I have done so numerous times.
> 
> John E.
> Philip Erdelsky <pje at efgh.com> wrote: Today (March 13) my bicycle and I took a ride on the
> long-awaited and recently-opened SPRINTER train, which
> runs along the railroad corridor between Oceanside and Escondido.
> 
> 
> Bicycle facilities are better than the San Diego Trolley and not
> quite as good as the Coaster.
> 
> Capacity is limited. The San Diego Trolley is limited to two bikes
> per car (and I have seen a third cyclists forced to move to another
> car). The Sprinter could probably take four to six bikes. The Coaster
> capacity appears to be unlimited.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
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