More bike racks and bike fees could be in store for some San Mateo County train stations following a bicycle plan released Monday that indicates 8 percent of customers ride their bikes to and from the train.

The draft Caltrain Bicycle Parking and Access Plan, originally called the Bike Master Plan, focuses on ways to improve bicycle access at Caltrain’s 10 most popular stations, including Millbrae, San Mateo, Hillsdale and Redwood City. The plan outlines ways Caltrain can improve bike access at the stations and manage the number of bike riders that flood trains at peak hours.

During peak commute hours, bicyclists are often “bumped” from the trains, meaning there is no room for their bike and therefore they must wait for the next train or quickly lock their bike up at the station. Caltrain has removed 1,000 seats from trains and designated the northern car of each train for bicyclists and their bikes. On the older style cars, there are 32 spaces for bikes. On the newer style cars, there are 16 spaces, according to Caltrain.

The study considers the option of charging an additional bike fee. There are currently no commuter rail operators in the United State that charge an extra fee for bicycles brought on board. However, the Netherlands, Berlin and Vancouver, British Columbia charge fees ranging from $1 to $8.90, according to the report.

Implementing such a fee would present a logistical challenge under current operations, according to the report.

Caltrain is a proof-of-payment system on which passengers must pay fares before boarding. Without real-time information regarding onboard bike space availability, passengers with bikes could not be expected to pay a fee for a bicycle space they might not be able to use.

The idea of paying more to bring a bike on board did not receive high marks in a 2007 online bicycle survey conducted by Caltrain. Of the 926 respondents, 233 — or 25 percent — said they would bring their bikes on board as much as they currently do; 17 percent would stop bringing bikes on board; 16 percent would bring bikes on board less frequently; 12 percent would stop riding Caltrain; 10 percent said it would depend on the fee; 6 percent would use a folding bike and 3 percent said they would use Caltrain less frequently.

The study suggests Caltrain should consider subsidies to help customers buy folding bikes that can retail for $500 to $1,000. Folding bikes can be stored on luggage racks in any car.

The plan also suggests increasing the total number of bike racks and lockers at the San Mateo County stations. San Mateo bike racks and lockers could increase from 30 to 49; Hillsdale would increase from 34 to 39; Redwood City would increase from 72 to 106.

The draft plan has been in development for a year. To view the plan, visit http://www.caltrain.com/bicycle_master_plan.html. Comments on the draft plan will be accepted until 5 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 9. To comment, send an e-mail to bikeplan@caltrain.com or write to Caltrain Bicycle Access and Parking Plan, Attn: Planning and Development, P.O. Box 3006, San Carlos, CA 94070.

The final plan will be presented to the Caltrain board for approval Oct. 4.

Dana Yates can be reached by e-mail: dana@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 106.