My version of reality is that when we walk on shared trails, we should do so facing traffic in our lane, just like walking along a street with no sidewalk. That way, as a pedestrian you have a chance to protect yourself against inattentive cyclists - unless you are an inattentive pedestrian. The bike/shared use trails should be signed as such, because most pedestrians seem to have no knowledge of that practice.
Personally, I'd like to see separate wood-chipped walking trails designated on each side. That might encourage gangs of pedestrians and some dog walkers not to block the path, and runners to put less stress on their joints, by using a side trail. There is some room for that, except at the current bridges, and ped bridges could be added to each side. That brings the question: what IS the legal nature of the SW Path, Cap City Trail, etc? Roadway? Sidewalk? Something in between? That would seem to affect the way everyone should use it. In this instance, if both parties were east-bound, there is the potential that the sun was in the rider's eyes. At least, if I was the defense attorney, that might be what I'd have the cyclist testify. Or, maybe they were the type of cyclist who usually rides head down and doesn't look much Jeff Schimpff "Bus, Bike, Walk or Carpool to Work for Clean Air for Kids" -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, July 02, 2007 8:30 AM To: [email protected] Subject: [Bikies] SW Bike Path - Pedestrian Injury A bicyclist rode into the back of an 80-year old women on the SW Corridor path between Midvale Blvd. and Odana Rd. last Tuesday (6/26). The women (who I talked to because she is my neighbor) was knocked down and suffered a dislocated finger. She was hit from behind in broad daylight - about 9:00 AM. The police were called and an ambulance came to the scene. (I've looked but haven't been able to find the police report on the incident yet.) How does a bicyclist riding a bike path in the same direction fail to see a pedestrian directly in front of them in time to avoid plowing into them? This gives us all a bad reputation. What can we do to minimize the chances of this happening again? Mike Neuman _______________________________________________ Bikies mailing list [email protected] http://www.danenet.org/mailman/listinfo/bikies _______________________________________________ Bikies mailing list [email protected] http://www.danenet.org/mailman/listinfo/bikies
