Free Parking at the Train Station

Faced with a four-to-five-year wait for annual parking permits at Darien and Noroton Heights rail stations, some commuters have found a way to skip the waiting line and find free parking.

They commute on two wheels instead of four.

On any given day you'll find everything from retro bicycles to racy scooters chained to the bike racks at the stations, each with its own story.

Green with Exercise

Bill Devlin is a teacher at Darien High School who commutes 45 miles each day from New Milford.  From the Noroton Heights station to DHS is 10 minutes by bike.  But biking is nothing new for him, as Devlin says he biked all through college and grad school. 

"I'm not trying to make a point (about being green).  It's just practical," says this law and government teacher.

David Clemens is just the opposite, choosing to bike the mile from his home because "it gets my blood pumping in the morning."

This Boulder, Colorado transplant can be seen on a 1930's Schwinn in good weather and bad.  Clemens is such an exercise enthusiast that he says Metro-North should complement its bar cars with "treadmill cars," where commuters could exercise on their way to work.

Road Kill, Wet Weather

Winter biking is "not for the faint of heart," says Jim Golden, who has equipped his 25- year-old Trek road bike with flashing strobes, front and rear. 

This film maker says he was hit twice on his bike while riding in New York City, so his attitude is "just presume everyone is going to hit you" and bike accordingly. 

Like the other riders we spoke to, Golden says he's never had a problem leaving his bike in the locked racks at Noroton Heights station.

All the bikers said that being unprotected from the elements in bad weather is not really an issue.  You just expect to get a bit wetless a problem on the homeward bound ride than on the morning trek to a job the city.

Ciao, Bella!

Unlike pump and peddle crowd, some two-wheel commuters enjoy a sweat-free ride on their scooters.

Tom Norelli's bright red Vespa can be found most days at Noroton Heights since his commute changed from a job in Stamford to one in the city, requiring a daily roundtrip on Metro-North. 

Though he lives just a seven-minute walk from the station, Norelli says he enjoys his "30-second commute" on the scooter, which averages about 70 miles per gallon. 

Norelli bought the Vespa from a friend just for joy-riding. But when his commuting pattern changed, he saw the Vespa as a solution to the long wait and expensive rates for car parking at the station.

Free (Legal) Parking

Bike racks, some under shelter, are available at Darien and Noroton Heights stations on both the in-bound and out-bound platforms.

Two-wheeler parking is free, but it's BYOL—bring your own lock.