How to ride transit with bikes

May 12, 2025

Bicycles and transit go hand-in-hand. Whether taking the first or last leg of a transit trip on two wheels to save time, hopping on transit when your bike suffers a mechanical issue, or taking transit to scenic bike paths for a leisurely ride, the possibilities are endless. But there are a few things you should know before embarking on your bike-transit journey; we’ve gathered all the rules and tips for how to ride transit with bikes.

CTA rail

Bicycles are permitted on all CTA L trains most hours on weekdays (except during rush periods, from 7-9 a.m. and 4-6 p.m.) and all day on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays. If you board outside of rush hour restriction times and your ride extends into these hours, you’re allowed to finish your ride.

All CTA trains are ADA accessible, meaning you can roll your bike right onto the car. But if you are unable to lift your bike and walk up or down stairs (note: Bikes are never allowed on escalators), check out CTA’s list of accessible stations, and look out for elevator outages on their Accessibility Status webpage (where you can also sign up for text alerts).

When entering a train station, use a wide turnstile gate that swings open if there’s one available. Otherwise, station staff can open a manual access gate to let you in once you’ve paid your fare.

When your train is approaching, look for the green bicycle decal next to one of the sets of doors—there is typically more space for bikes at that half of the car. Once on board, stand with your bike and always hold onto it. Do your best to avoid blocking aisles or doors, and remember that older adults and riders with disabilities have priority access to accessible seating areas. Note, only two bicycles are allowed per railcar.

CTA and Pace buses

All CTA and Pace buses have a bike rack on the front of the bus. To use the bike rack, first remove bags or other items hanging off your bike. When your bus arrives, alert the driver that you’ll be loading your bicycle. If you’re the first person to load a bike on the bus, you’ll need to lower the rack by squeezing the center handle. Lift your bicycle so it sits in the empty wheel well closest to the face of the bus. The front tire goes into the slot facing the support arm. Pull the spring-loaded support arm out and then upwards to pull it completely over the top of your front wheel and nestle it where the wheel meets the wheel fork to help hold your bike in place. You may want to sit or stand near the front of the bus to keep an eye on your bike while riding. When you come to your stop, be sure to alert the driver that you’re removing your bicycle.

To remove your bike, lift and stow the support arm back in its down position and lift your bike off the bus. If there are no other bikes in the rack, squeeze the handle and lift the rack back into its upright position. Check out the CTA’s webpage on riding transit with a bike for instructional photos on how to use these bike racks, and view Pace instructions here.

If you’re taking your bike on a bus for the first time, you may feel more comfortable getting in a practice session on using the bike rack. You can do so outside CTA headquarters at 567 W. Lake St.

Metra

As of January 2024, bikes are permitted on all Metra trains (as opposed to a former policy of prohibiting bikes on rush period trains), either in the priority seating areas of ADA railcars (note that customers with disabilities have priority access to the ADA spaces) or in spaces designated for bikes on railcars with a bike logo. These new bike racks are available on about 90 cars. Bicycles must be secured to the racks with a built-in strap or your own strap or lock. On some trains, there are bike cars that have multiple racks. They can be identified by a blue exterior paint scheme.

While e-bikes are allowed on Metra trains, it’s important to note that riders must be able to lift their bicycle up the stairs onto the train themselves. Train crews are not required to assist with boarding bicycles, and the wheelchair lift may not be used to load or unload bikes. Learn more about bringing bikes on Metra.