Bikes on CTA Trains: Hours, Limits and Etiquette

The L is the fastest way to move a bike across Chicago without pedaling every block. The CTA permits it on conditions: limited hours, two bikes a car, and room for everyone else. This is the full rulebook, in the order you meet it.

When bikes are allowed

The CTA permits bikes on every L line on weekdays except in two windows, 7 to 9 a.m. and 4 to 6 p.m. Saturdays, Sundays and holidays carry no time limit.¹

Timing matters at the edges. If you board before a restricted window opens and your trip runs into it, you may finish the ride.¹ Plan the other direction the same way: a bike that cannot board at 4 p.m. can board at 6.

Crowds override the clock. Staff on the train or in the station may ask you to wait for an emptier train. The CTA also bans bikes on a single line, or on the whole L, when it expects heavy ridership.¹ Read the alerts before you leave.

Situation	Bikes on the L
Weekday, 7–9 a.m. and 4–6 p.m.	Not allowed, except folding bikes and rides already under way1
Weekday, all other hours	Allowed1
Saturday, Sunday, holiday	Allowed all day1
Heavy-ridership ban	Not allowed on the affected line or system1

Who and what may board

Riders 14 and older may bring a bike alone. A 12- or 13-year-old needs an adult. Under 12, no bike.¹

A bike must be under 72 inches long and no more than 30 inches wide.¹ Folding bikes are allowed at all times.¹ Gas-powered bikes of every kind are banned.¹

Divvy and other public bikeshare bikes are not allowed on the CTA.¹ Return the bike to a dock, then walk to the station. A folded e-bike or scooter is always allowed.¹

A bike that is dirty or greasy enough to soil seats or equipment may be refused.¹

Getting through the station

Gates are where most bikes get stuck. Use a wide turnstile gate that swings open. If none is available, pay your fare and a station attendant will open a manual gate.¹

Never push a bike through a tall rotating metal gate. The CTA calls them rotogates and warns the bike will catch.¹ The King Drive Green Line station has only rotogates on the outbound exit, so exits there are not allowed. Stay aboard to Cottage Grove instead.¹

Take the elevator when one is working. Otherwise carry the bike up the stairs or ramp and let others pass first. Bikes are not permitted on escalators.¹

Do not ride inside a station, and do not use a kickstand there.¹ Trains enter stations faster than you expect, and the rails are electrified.¹

On the train

Look at the car before you step on. Only two bicycles are allowed per railcar, so if two are already aboard, wait for the next train.¹

Look for the green bicycle decal beside one set of doors as the train stops. That half of the car typically has more room for bikes.¹

Once aboard:

• Stand with the bike and hold it the whole ride.¹
• Keep aisles and doors clear.¹
• Never leave a bike standing alone on its kickstand.¹
• Flip up the seat in the wheelchair area if you need space, and give it up the moment a rider with a disability or someone needing priority seating asks.¹

You carry the liability. A cyclist assumes all responsibility for damage or injury caused by the bike on CTA property, and a sudden stop does not shift that.¹

In an emergency evacuation, leave the bike behind. If you can do it safely and fast, set it on or between seats so the aisle stays clear.¹

When the train says no

If a train is full, or you are inside a blackout window, use the bus. Every CTA bus has a front rack, and crowding restrictions do not apply to those racks.¹ The rules for loading it are in bikes on CTA buses.

For regional trips, Metra has its own bike policy; see bikes on Metra.

Stations as trailheads

Many CTA rail stations have indoor bike parking, and almost all have racks outside or close by.¹ That makes the L a clean way to start a ride rather than finish one.

The CTA lists these connections:

• Blue Line to Western or Damen for the Bloomingdale Trail, covered in the 606.¹
• Blue Line to Forest Park for the Illinois Prairie Path, which starts at 1st Avenue north of the station; see Illinois Prairie Path.¹
• Most L lines for the Lakefront Trail.¹

For the wider commuting picture, including parking and routes, start at the commuting hub and read the Chicago bike commuting guide.