Chicago Bike Routes
How Do I Take My Bike On The Metra Train?
6/8/2023
Hopping on the Metra train with your bike is a great way to travel from place to place in Chicagoland. It's fun to take the train out to a distant bike trail, ride the trail, and get on another train to return home. The train is also convenient on days when I leave work and want to go to an event somewhere but won't be able to bike the entire way in time.
Taking your bike on the Metra is straightforward. Check out http://metra.com for the most accurate and up-to-date information. Below are the steps I usually take:
1. Check train schedule: I go to http://metra.com and navigate to the Maps & Schedules page where I can select the train line that I'm interested in riding on. Then I can select my departure and destination stations and view the train schedule and crowding potential (there should also be a bike symbol next to trains that allow bikes). If a train is too crowded, Metra train staff can deny bikes from being brought on the train but this has never happened to me.
2. Consider whether it's rush hour or if trains are likely to be crowded: Although I have never been denied access to a train with my bike, there may hypothetically be occasions during rush hour (times during week days when trains are carrying passengers to downtown Chicago for work or times during the evening when those workers return home) or during big events (major concerts or sporting events, for example) when bikes are not allowed on impacted trains due to crowding.
Also consider that bikes are allowed on a first come, first served basis, so if the train is already packed with bikes, you may not be allowed on the train; however, in my experience riding metra trains with my bike, mostly on weekends and week day evenings for the last couple of years, I have never encountered a time when I couldn't board because there were too many bikes on the train.
3. Buy a Metra ticket: I buy a Metra ticket through the Ventra App on my phone. You can buy your ticket ahead of time, but I usually find myself buying a ticket as I wait on the train station platform. Tickets can also be bought with cash from staff on the train after you board.
4. Get on the train: When the train arrives at my station platform, I look for a train car that has a handicap (wheelchair) sign near its entrance and enter it. These are the train cars that can accomodate bikes. To get on the train you will have to lift your bike up a few steps.
5. Secure your bike: Inside the train car, there is a seating section with fold-up seats that is designated as handicap and bicycle space. I use a bungee cord to secure my bike frame to the seat rails, like in the image shown below. Occasionally, there are already bikes secured to the seat railing, and I double park my bike along the bikes already present (I just keep an eye out at each train stop in case I need to move my bike to let someone else get their bike).
Image: Securing a road bike using a bungee cord in the fold-up seat section (handicap/bike section) of Metra train cars
6. Show your ticket: After I take a seat anywhere, I go on the Ventra App, navigate to my purchased ticket, and click the Use button to activate it (this should be done only when you are on the train). Eventually, a Metra employee will walk into your train car and ask new riders for tickets. You can click the Show button for your purchased ticket in the Ventra App and show the employee.
7. Get off at your destination: Once I arrive at my destination train station, I grab my bike and get off the train.
