Port Jervis Line (New Jersey Transit /
Metro North)
There's some worthwhile riding to be done out in Orange County from this
train line. But as of October 2000, only four trains a day go to
those stations out toward the end of the line -- so if you miss a
train, it's a long time until the next one.
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Getting around with your bike in
NYC
- Grand Central Terminal (Hudson line and Harlem Valley line)
- Pennsylvania Station (Port Jervis line and Amtrak)
- Subway stations -- many, many of them
Hoboken (New Jersey Transit and PATH)
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One-Way rides between different train stations
A great thing about the transportation network in the Hudson Valley and
metro New York City is that it's convenient to do one-way rides between
different train stations -- or even different train lines.
Warning: When trying a one-way ride,
you are rather dependent on being able to use the train. But many trains in
the Hudson Valley require special permits or procedures for bicycles -- or
do not permit bicycles. So check in advance and make sure you
understand their rules.
Here's some interesting one-way rides to think about . . .
Metro-North
Great classic "escape from New York" ride.
about 75 miles from Grand Central Terminal, or 64
miles from GWB.
using these routes: (1) second half of
GWB to Central Park
(or subway to near George Washington Bridge),
(2) first half of GWB / Bear Mt
Bridge loop, (3) second half of
Bear Mt / Newburgh-Beacon Bridge
loop.
Alternates:
- - add side trip to climb Bear Mountain
- - add side trip to pretty lakes and hills:
Seven
Lakes to the River
- - substitute first half of
NYC to Bear Mt adventure for
(2) GWB / Bear Mt Bridge loop.
see also:
Adventures from
the GWB
shorter than NYC to Beacon, but misses some of the
best scenery.
about 56 miles to Garrison station from Grand
Central Terminal, or 46 miles from GWB.
using these routes: (1) second half of
GWB to Central Park
(or subway to near George Washington Bridge),
(2) first half of GWB / Bear Mt
Bridge loop, (3) reversing part of first half of
Bear Mt / Newburgh-Beacon Bridge
loop.
Alternate:
- - finish at Cold Spring station (instead of
Garrison) adds 4 miles.
shortest way to ride the spectacular Storm King
Mountain Highway.
30 miles -- starting near mile 12 of
Bear Mt / Newburgh-Beacon Bridge
loop
the advantage of riding one-way from Wassaic is to start
riding in the beautiful country around and north of Wassaic, then finish by
riding south to a Metro-North station which gets more frequent service.
using these routes: (1) part of
Harlem Valley Wandering
(or Harlem Valley Rail to
Trail to Falls), (2)
Quaker Ridge, (3)
Brewster extension
of Quaker Ridge.
adventurous way to experience lots of pretty farm
country (with hills).
about 49 miles using the shorter versions of
routes below, but lots of interesting and pretty ways to make it longer.
using these routes: (1) part of
Harlem Valley Wandering
(or Harlem Valley Rail to
Trail to Falls), (2)
Hills + Horse Farms of NE Dutchess, (3)
Poughkeepsie - Salt Point connection
(with note about
Connecting)
We've heard some people plan to spend 2 days doing
it, and reserve a place (e.g. around Copake) to sleep along the way.
The key reason not to want to ride in the
direction from Poughkeepsie to Wassaic is that Wassaic station usually gets
less than half as many trains scheduled than Poughkeepsie, so could have a
long wait until the next one.
Amtrak
Note: We've never tried to take our bicycle
on Amtrak, but we've heard it's trickier than Metro-North. Our suggestion
would be to do the Amtrak train ride before the start of the ride,
rather than depending on successfully taking your bicycle on it after
the end of the ride.
lots of pretty riding thru farms and pleasant
villages on the east side of the Hudson river.
71 miles =
36 miles from Rhinecliff to
Hudson
+ 35 miles from Hudson to Rensselaer.
+ optional side trip to New York state capital in
the city of Albany.
using these routes: (1) Rhinebeck to Rip Van
Winkle bridge, (2) first half of Rip
Van Winkle Bridge to Albany loop
see one-way
route NYC to Albany
The Metro-North trains provide a way for New Yorkers to get to some
upstate bike routes without driving a car. And for upstate
residents to try out routes in and around New York City. They also
make it possible to do point-to-point trips -- without returning by
bicycle to the starting point (e.g. Manhattan to Beacon).
Metro-North website -- Metro-North
bicycle page
Phone: 800-METRO-INFO (in NYC, 212-532-4900)
Metro-North
bicycle Rules page
As of October 2000, our understanding of the rules is that you
need to purchase a bicycle permit for $5.00. You can get one
immediately if you show up in person at
Grand Central Terminal. If you're out of town, you need to take some
action in advance -- print out the form from their website and mail it in with
a check.
Even with the permit, bicycles are not permitted on weekday rush-hour
trains going in the direction with most commuters, and various restrictions
apply to other trains. The rules do not permit tandems.
Bike Permit form is linked from
Metro
North bicycle page
Other helpful sources:
Amtrak website
Phone: 800-872-7245
As of June 2004, our understanding is that bicycles are permitted on
some trains, especially if they have a baggage car -- but perhaps not on all
trains -- and perhaps the bicycle baggage could not be put on or taken off
at all stations. You may need to have
your bike pre-packaged in a big box. Best to call them and talk about
your specific plans. See
Subways and other Light Rail of New York City
see Getting
around in New York City
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