If you've always wanted to ride your bike in and around Chicago but didn't want to have to haul them on the back of your car to get there, Amtrak's Pere Marquette is riding to the rescue this week. For just $10 you can begin to reserve space for your bike to ride along with you to the Windy City and enjoy the waterfront parks and more on your own bike instead of some rented one.
Amtrak and the Michigan Department of Transportation are offering walk-up checked bike service aboard the Pere Marquette train at the Chicago, St. Joseph-Benton Harbor, Holland and Grand Rapids stations effective immediately. Reservations, however, are required, inasmuch as each train only has capacity for 16 bikes.
You also must present your bike ticket to the train conductor when you board the train, and you will be provided a bike tag by station employees in Chicago or the train crew at all other stops on the route. You then must present your bike tag at the baggage car to retrieve your bike from the train crew at your destination.
Passengers taking bikes on the train must arrive 30-minutes prior to train departure to allow sufficient time to obtain your ticket and baggage tag, and to get your bike to the baggage car. Only standard sized bikes will be permitted, and large seats and/or saddle bags must be removed before stowing. You can carry such items on the train and they will be counted as carry-on items.
All bike fan passengers also must be physically capable of lifting their bike up to shoulder height to an employee standing in the baggage car. Passengers themselves will not be permitted in that car, however Amtrak personnel will store and secure the bike to the bike racks inside.
If you'd like to take your bike with you on your Amtrak run, you can reserve space for your bike by selecting "add bike" when you book your train travel at Amtrak.com, or by calling 1-800-USA-RAIL (1-800-872-7245). Passengers can also make reservations at the Chicago ticket office and at Quik-Trak ticketing kiosks in Chicago, St. Joseph, Holland and Grand Rapids. Please note that bike reservations cannot be made through Amtrak mobile apps. Only one bike is permitted per person.
The photo of a train station in the Netherlands above shows the huge array of bikes left at the station, which can become a thing of the past at the St. Joseph Depot on your trip to Chicago, or (for that matter) Holland or Grand Rapids.
