Letter to Joseph H. Boardman, President of Amtrak - Bike Storage on Passenger Lines

Letter

Today, at the Albany/Rensselaer Train Station, U.S. Senator Charles Schumer launched a plan to get more visitors and tourism dollars to the Capital Region and urged Amtrak to add baggage cars capable of carrying bicycles on their Adirondack and Ethan Allen trains. Schumer joined State Senators Betty Little and Brad Hoylman in the effort. He revealed that Amtrak is currently building new baggage cars at the CAF facility in Elmira, NY, and he is pushing Amtrak to include these new baggage cars for bike storage on the passenger lines from Penn Station to Albany and Saratoga, and other North Country destinations. Currently, Amtrak has this "Bring Your Bicycle On Board" program on its Boston-Portland line, New York-Charlotte line, and in California, where the program is so popular that Amtrak had to begin requiring reservations. Schumer urged that Amtrak do the same for the Capital Region lines, which connect passengers to a variety of upstate scenic tourist destinations that are replete with bike trails and picturesque stretches of road, as well as events like the Lake Placid triathlons and Ironman events, which already attract cyclists and triathletes from all over New York and New England and could attract more. Schumer pointed out that this simple change in policy could boost upstate tourism and economic growth by enticing more Canadian and downstate Amtrak riders to various locations in the Capital Region and North Country.

"Folks already come from all over New York and the East Coast to visit the miles of scenic bike trails along Lake Placid, Lake Champlain and throughout the Adirondacks and North Country -- now we have the opportunity to boost bicycle tourism further by getting bikes on board our Amtrak trains," said Schumer. "Amtrak is currently building new baggage cars - in New York - that could accommodate bicycles, and adding them to their Adirondack and Ethan Allen lines would mean a passenger from Canada or Long Island could bring their bike all the way to Saratoga and beyond. This move would turn the gears towards increased recreation and tourism in the Adirondacks, attract more passengers to the Amtrak regional lines, encourage more competitive cyclists and triathletes to local events in the Capital Region, and pump more tourism dollars into New York's economy."

Schumer was joined by State Sen. Betty Little, State Sen. Brad Hoylman and representatives from the Albany-Colonie Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Rensselaer County Chamber of Commerce, the Saratoga Chamber of Commerce and the Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce.

"Millions of people living in and visiting New York City would love to venture north, but if it entails renting a car it doesn't happen," said Senator Betty Little, chair of the Senate Cultural Affairs, Tourism, Parks and Recreation Committee. "We need a fun and, above all, convenient option and I think an Amtrak train with a dedicated car for bikes would appeal to a lot of people. Imagine jumping on a train on a Friday afternoon, stepping off a few hours later with a backpack and bike and cycling down the road to a bed and breakfast for a weekend escape. We have so many wonderful communities along the Amtrak route for city residents and tourists to explore. If we make it easy, they will come."

"I'm proud to join Senator Schumer and Senator Little in calling for bike storage on Amtrak trains between New York and Albany to give New Yorkers a convenient and affordable new way to access the beautiful bicycle trails of the Adirondacks and surrounding areas," said New York State Senator Brad Hoylman (D, WFP -- Manhattan). "This initiative will generate revenue and create a new tourism link between New York City and Upstate, as well as promote bike vacations, one of the healthiest and most environmentally friendly forms of recreation."

Representatives from the local Chambers of Commerce strongly support the change in Amtrak policy because they've seen the growth and importance of recreation and tourism in the Capital Region on a more general level, but also specifically in bicycle tourism over the past several years. There are thousands of miles of trails and scenic roads, and bicycling was one of the top 10 activities drawing visitors to the Adirondack Coast region, and large events like the Lake Placid Ironman and the Tour of the Battenkill draw hundreds of cyclists and triathletes to the region each year. In fact, 69% of lodging facilities had guests that brought a bicycle along with them or were travelling by bicycle. Schumer noted that allowing bikes on Amtrak baggage cars would offer downstate travelers, especially those from NYC and Long Island who do not frequently travel by car, an option to commute to these locations and events by the Adirondack and Ethan Allen lines. This move by Amtrak would bolster an already positive trend.

In addition, Schumer highlighted that Amtrak's decision to add special bike cars to these rail lines could have an enormous economic impact. Local studies have shown that bicycle tourists spend on average between $100 and $300 per day and stay multiple nights when they visit the Capital Region. In 2011, tourism in the Adirondacks, Catskills, Hudson Valley, and Capital-Saratoga region had a combined economic impact of nearly $7 billion, which was a 5% increase from 2010. Tourism in these four regions supports over 120,000 jobs and contributes nearly $850 million in state and local tax revenue. Increased visitors and bikers would be a boost for lodging, restaurants, shops, and tourist attractions. Schumer is petitioning Amtrak to help support the growing popularity of bicycle tourism, which is already a huge driver of economic growth in the Capital Region and North Country, by adding baggage cars to their Adirondack and Ethan Allen lines.

Amtrak's "Bring Your Bicycle On Board" program has several features, including a walk-on service in select locations, but essentially offers passengers the option to store their bike in any of their train's baggage cars. Currently, the Amtrak Adirondack and Ethan Allen lines do not have baggage cars that permit bicycle storage. Schumer and Sen. Little are asking Amtrak to begin including additional baggage cars -- which are now being built at the CAF facility in Elmira, NY -- on these two regional lines to accommodate bicycle tourists. Schumer underlined that this service already exists on the Boston-Portland and New York-Charlotte line, and it would only be a matter of extending it to the service on the Adirondack and Ethan Allen lines, which connect travelers to scenic locations that have proven to be popular destinations for cyclists.

In California, Amtrak offers "walk-on" service to select destinations, where passengers can secure their bikes on normal passenger cars rather than storing them in baggage. This service has become so popular, that Amtrak had to begin requiring reservations. Schumer noted that given the popularity of Capital Region and North Country destinations for cyclists, "walk-on" service could be something Amtrak looks at in the future. For now, Schumer is urging that Amtrak at least include storage cars for bikes on their Adirondack and Ethan Allen lines, in what he expects will be an extremely popular feature and provide a boost to Amtrak's business as well.

A copy of Senator Schumer's letter to the president of Amtrak appears below:

Dear President Boardman,

I write to commend you on Amtrak's "Bring Your Bicycle Onboard" program and urge you to consider the enclosed petition of dozens of your customers to accommodate bicycles on the Adirondack and Ethan Allenpassenger rail lines. As you know, Amtrak provides and promotes an important rail link between New York and Montreal, which traverses many communities in Upstate New York. However, it has been brought to my attention my regional business groups and constituents that these rail lines do not allow bicycles on Amtrak trains. Considering that Montreal and many upstate Adirondack communities are famous for their bike trails, I would respectfully ask that you consider accommodating bicycle transportation on these rail lines.

If you are able to add bicycle service to any of these lines, I would also hope that you could promote the amenity similar to the way you do for the Boston-Portland and New York-Charlotte train service. Local economic development officials believe that New Yorkers, especially those from downstate in New York City, would jump at the opportunity to use passenger rail service to Adirondack communities for new biking opportunities. As you might be aware, "rail trails" are popping up across New York's river towns as well as our famous Adirondack parks. By adding Upstate New York to the "Bring Your Bicycle Onboard" program, we could tap into an unknown economic development and tourism resource for these communities.

I would urge you to consider this request and do not hesitate to contact Gerry Petrella in my Washington office with any questions.

Sincerely,

Charles E. Schumer

U.S. Senator

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