Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
To Lure More Cyclists, MTA Drops Bicycle Permit On Commuter Rails
By
Stephen Nessen
Published Aug 12, 2021
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Marc A. Hermann / MTA
By
Stephen Nessen
Published Aug 12, 2021
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
In an effort to attract riders back to the commuter rail lines, the MTA will be waiving the $5 dollar fee and permit requirement to bring a bike on Metro-North and the Long Island Railroad.
The change goes into effect September 7th, but the MTA will also have a one-day grace period on August 22nd, the day the Five Boro Bike Tour returns after a hiatus during the pandemic.
While the permit rule will be removed in September, all other bike rules remain in effect. That includes a maximum allowance of four bikes per train on weekdays, and eight on weekends.
Still, the MTA doesn’t think this will be an issue.
“Having a lot of bikers on the trains would be a really great problem to have, so we’re just trying to welcome back as many people as we can and eliminate the obstacles to welcome back as many bicyclists as possible,” said Catherine Rinaldi, president of Metro-North, at a news conference at Grand Central Terminal on Thursday.
Other rules that will remain in effect prohibit bikes on trains during rush hours, on several major holidays, and around holiday weekends.
The MTA has designated some weekend Metro-North trains as “Bicycle Trains" and will have a bicycle symbol on the schedule. These trains allow more bikes on board than regular trains.
The agency announced the looser bike policies in tandem with the return of the Five Boro Bike Tour, which was suspended last year due to the pandemic. Registration ends on Sunday. In the past, the number of participants was capped at 32,000, but this year it will only permit 20,000 people to ride.
Advocates and lawmakers have been pushing the MTA to do more to connect the cyclists and transit networks.
Mayoral-hopeful Andrew Yang had called for adding a bike lane on MTA controlled bridges, like the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, as part of his campaign. And a bill that passed both houses of the state legislature, introduced by State Senator Alessandra Biaggi, would’ve set up a committee at the MTA to improve pedestrian and cyclist access to MTA bridges, but Governor Andrew Cuomo never signed it.
Tagged
we the commuters
metro north
Long Island Rail Raid
biking
new york city
new york
five boro bike tour
commuter rail
lirr
Stephen Nessen
Stephen Nessen covers transportation. Since 2008 he has reported on everything from Occupy Wall Street, the rebuilding of the World Trade Center site, Hurricane Sandy, to Trump’s campaign for president. His transportation reporting has taken him everywhere from the MTA’s secret Rail Control Center to the gleaming subways of Seoul. Got a tip? Email [email protected].
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
NY unemployment recipients brace for delays during system upgrade
The shutdown is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. on Monday and last for nine to 12 days.
By
Jon Campbell
and
Carol Chen
Published Oct 30, 2026 at 12:59 p.m. ET
Influential Brooklyn developer illegally raised rents despite tax break, lawsuit claims
The lawsuit targets the leasing practices of the company Two Trees, which recently received a special carveout in the New York state budget.
By
David Brand
News
Influential Brooklyn developer illegally raised rents despite tax break, lawsuit claims
The lawsuit targets the leasing practices of the company Two Trees, which recently received a special carveout in the New York state budget.
By
David Brand
Democrats' early voting lead in NJ keeps growing ahead of Election Day
By
Mike Hayes
Early Addition: Is Harry running?
By
James Ramsay
NYC Council takes key step toward Mamdani's promised Department of Community Safety
By
Ben Feuerherd
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .