New Bicycle Section on Metro website
January 14th, 2011
Metro’s website has a new Bike and Ride section! The rules haven’t changed, but we’ve tried to make our policy about bicycles on Metrorail and Metrobus more clear, and to put the most frequently-requested items on the main page. Hopefully this will reduce confusion and encourage bicyclists! All the nitty-gritty details about bikes and transit are still there, of course.
What do you think of the changes? Let us know in the comments below.
Link?
The site is extremely confusing. It is not at all obvious that you can click on a link to expand it, and because each section has a bit of text, it looks like that text is the entire policy. For example: “Bring Your Bike on Metrorail” policy: “Weekdays except 7-10 a.m. and 4-7 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays all day.” Which of course is wrong.
This is amazingly bad web design. Who built this?
How to fix.
1. Get rid of the “Expand All” and “Collapse All” options.
2. Expand all four sections entirely.
3. Place a table of contents link set at the top of the page which scrolls down to the relevant section. Optionally place the sections on different pages and have the links go to them.
Man. God-awful.
Metro to lure bike-to-rail commuters?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/metro-to-lure-bike-to-rail-commuters/2011/03/18/ABiJmZ3_story.html
Hey Metro, the fastest and easiest way to lure more bike-to-railers is to chill out on the bike locker fees, which nearly tripled a year ago from $70 to $200 per year. There are lots of vacant lockers at Shady Grove Road. I’d guess that there are plenty of empty lockers at other stations too. Roll those fees back (at least at stations where there are significant locker vacancies) and you’ll fill those empty lockers fast.
O yeah, how about installing video cameras and signs at all bike racks to discourage theft. I’m sure the rampant theft (whole bikes and bike parts) at the open bike racks deter lots of would be bike-to-railers.