Well, OK, they are a couple weeks old. But now they are on YouTube, so I can embed them (the video player on the ST site could use a face lift).

First up, Central Link:

I didn’t know bikes were supposed to wait until all other passengers had boarded first, but I guess that is probably what I would have done naturally. I do still think it’s a little too awkward to try to get your bike on the hook if there is someone sitting across from the bike hook area. The locations of Portland’s Max bike hooks seem easier for everyone, since they are right by the door and don’t point your bike seat into the aisle (especially if you are taller):

It’s also important to note that if Link is operating one-car trains, that means only four bikes are technically allowed instead of eight (four in each car). But still, I don’t really know how it would be decided who gets kicked off if there are five bikes on a car. Sounds kind of difficult to enforce. And what if you don’t see the bikes at the other end of the car because it’s packed? You can’t be expected just to know they are there. Really, sort of a silly rule. Has anyone had any experience with this rule? I would be interested to know if it ever comes up.

UPDATE 10/6: I asked Sound Transit’s Rebecca Roush whether the agency has had to enforce the four bikes rule, and she sent me the following response:

… we have not had to enforce the policy regarding four bicycles per car. But if it came down to it, we’d work with the bicyclist to perhaps move to another less crowded car. Our first priority is safety.

And, we try to go the extra mile as not to inconvenience our customers.

So far, it’s worked.

ST also released videos for taking bikes on the Sounder:

on ST Express Buses:

and on Tacoma Link: