make way for bikes

In Norwalk, Connecticut, they're dealing with quite the quandary. Their rail line is being outfitted with new cars soon, and the problem is this: to bike or not to bike?

Gov. Jodi Rell hopes modifying the design of the car to make room for commuters to bring their bikes on board will encourage people to ride rather than drive to the train station.

Not so fast! Her constituents say. Have you seen how crowded those cars are?

"I certainly hope the governor understands how crowded the trains are today . . . and how that situation is only going to get worse before it gets better," said James Cameron, chairman of the Connecticut Rail Commuter Counsel. "How are they possibly going to take a bicycle and include it inside the car without losing seats? I don't think it's possible."

As commuters look to creative options for their morning commute, I think more cities are going to run into this problem. How can we include bikes in the mix without taking up space needed for actual bodies?

To read more about the problems in Norwalk, go here.