Bikes on the Puerto Rico Urban Train: no permit since 2024
Yes, you can take your bike on the Puerto Rico Urban Train, and you do not need a permit. ATI answers it plainly in its own FAQ: «¿Puedo llevar mi bicicleta en el tren?» — «Sí, No es necesario solicitar permiso» («Can I take my bike on the train?» — «Yes, no permit needed»).
The confusion comes from an old page still online on the system’s own site, which keeps publishing the former BiciTren rules —permit, two bikes per car at peak hours, pedal bikes only—. Those rules were dropped on 28 May 2024, when the DTOP and ATI opened the train, the buses and the ferries to bikes, scooters and other light vehicles. Below: what each source says, what you can bring on board and how to board without being turned away.
Do you need a permit? What each source says
| Source | What it says | Date |
|---|---|---|
| ATI — FAQ page Official and current | «Can I take my bike on the train?» — «Yes, no permit needed» | Current |
| DTOP and ATI announcement Covered by the local press | The BiciTren permit is dropped. Bikes, scooters and light vehicles that do not use combustion and do not exceed 18 mph are allowed on the train, buses and ferries | 28 May 2024 |
| The BiciTren page Old system page, never taken down | Permit for groups, maximum 2 bikes per car at peak hours and 4 off-peak, pedal bikes only | Former rules |
| What applies: ATI’s current answer. No permit and no fixed bike quota per car — you board if there is room and without blocking aisles or doors. | ||
If anyone at the station mentions the «BiciTren permit», they are quoting the old page: that requirement was removed in 2024.
Which light vehicles you can bring
The DTOP and ATI announcement of 28 May 2024 opened the system to micromobility vehicles that do not use combustion and do not exceed 18 miles per hour. That covers:
- Bikes, standard and folding.
- E-bikes within that speed limit.
- Scooters and skateboards.
- Tricycles.
- Wheelchairs, which also take priority over everything else.
Anything with a combustion engine (gas mopeds and motorcycles) or faster than 18 mph is out.
Accuracy note: the answer ATI publishes today mentions the bicycle explicitly. The full list of light vehicles and the 18 mph limit come from the official May 2024 announcement as reported by the local press; we have not found that detail republished on an ATI page of its own. If you travel with a scooter, expect station staff to have the final word on available room.
How to enter the station and board with your bike
This is the procedure ATI described when it announced the change, step by step:
- Get off the bike when you reach the station. Riding a bike or scooter inside Urban Train stations is expressly forbidden.
- Use the accessible entrance, which is wider and saves you from squeezing through the standard gates.
- Go up to the platform by elevator or by the fixed stairs, never on the escalators.
- Board through the doors at the ends of the car, not the middle one.
- Do not block aisles or doors. It is the rule the announcement repeats most.
- Give up the space to wheelchair users, strollers and passengers with physical or motor disabilities: they take priority over bikes.
- If the car is full, wait for the next train. There is no fixed bike quota; the test is whether there is room.
Scooters and skateboards go in the folding-seat area, again with priority for passengers with disabilities.
Bikes on AMA buses and on the ferries
The 2024 change was not limited to the train; it covers the whole integrated system.
On AMA buses: many units carry front bike racks for 2 or 3 bikes. Load it and secure it properly before boarding. If the bus has no rack, the alternative is the folding-seat area inside, always yielding priority to passengers with disabilities. ATI also announced it would fit bike racks on the rest of the fleet.
On the ferries: bikes are allowed on the Cataño ferry and on the Vieques and Culebra ferries. To reach the Cataño terminal with your bike, the connecting buses are route 37 from Bayamón Station and route 4 from Piñero Station.
Which station should you ride to?
All 16 stations take bikes, so the choice depends on how you get there:
- If you combine car and bike, the six stations with free Park & Ride are Bayamón (480 spaces), Jardines (128), Torrimar (58), Martínez Nadal (1,007), San Francisco (519) and Cupey (297). Park, unload the bike and take the train.
- Coming from the west, the Bayamón terminal is the easiest way in, and it connects with route 37 to the Cataño ferry terminal.
- Heading to the financial district or the university, Hato Rey and Universidad drop you at the door and spare you the busiest traffic.
- Ending in Santurce or Old San Juan, get off at Sagrado Corazón, the end of the line, and carry on by bike or connect with the buses.
Each station page lists its entrances and accessibility details: see all 16 stations before you set off.
Quick summary: what you can and cannot do
You can: bring the bike with no permit and no charge · use the accessible entrance · take the elevator · board through the end doors · carry it on buses (bike racks) and ferries · bring a scooter or skateboard with no combustion engine and under 18 mph.
You cannot: ride a bike or scooter inside the station · take the bike on the escalators · block aisles or car doors · occupy the reserved space when a wheelchair user or a stroller needs it · bring combustion vehicles.
And bear in mind: if the car is full, you wait for the next one. That is not staff turning you away, it is the rule.
Frequently asked questions about bikes on the Urban Train
Do I need a permit to take my bike on the Urban Train?
No. ATI answers it literally in its own FAQ: «Can I take my bike on the train?» — «Yes, no permit needed». The BiciTren requirement was dropped on 28 May 2024.
How many bikes fit in each car?
The current rule sets no number. Bikes are allowed as long as there is room and they do not block aisles or doors; if the car is full, you wait for the next train. The limit of 2 bikes at peak hours and 4 off-peak belongs to the former BiciTren rules.
Can I bring a scooter or an electric skateboard?
According to the DTOP and ATI announcement of May 2024, yes: light vehicles that do not use combustion and do not exceed 18 miles per hour are allowed. They go in the folding-seat area, with priority for passengers with disabilities. ATI's FAQ page mentions the bicycle explicitly.
Can I ride inside the station?
No. You must get off the bike at the entrance, go up to the platform by elevator or fixed stairs —never the escalators— and board through the doors at the ends of the car.
Does the bike cost anything?
There is no charge for the bike. On top of that, Urban Train fare collection has been suspended since March 2024, so the ride itself is free right now.
Can I take the bike on a bus or a ferry?
Yes. Many AMA buses have front racks for 2 or 3 bikes, and the Cataño, Vieques and Culebra ferries take them too.
