An "oldie" from John Rider. I agree completely. Walk on the right on a path.
Mike Rewey ------- Forwarded message follows ------- From: "John Rider" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[email protected]> Subject: RE: [Bikies] Multi-Use Path Etiquette (was SW Bike Path - Pedestrian Injury) Date sent: Mon, 2 Jul 2007 20:35:56 -0500 The paths in Madison do have instructions for trail use, but they aren't very visible. If you look at the new maps that were installed on many of the multi-use paths around town, you will see that there is a section on "Etiquette for All Path Users." There it says "Stay Right, Pass on Left," and "Yield to Slower Users." The reason for people to stay on the right side is that on the multi-use paths, pedestrians are intended users along with everyone else. Because of that, they should be walking on the right side with all the other traffic going their same direction. Then all the normal traffic rules apply. Lane placement is in relation to speed. Slower users stay right, faster users pass on the left when it is safe. The practice of walking on the left of ROADWAYS is appropriate where there are no sidewalks. Pedestrians are not intended users of the actual roadway. Given the speed differential between cars and pedestrians, and that cars are not expecting to find pedestrians walking along the side of the road, pedestrians should walk on the left facing traffic so they can more easily see what might run over them and kill them and be able to get out of it's way. So it is their responsibility to step off the roadway when a car comes at them, as the car still might not see a pedestrian walking toward them in their own lane. So following that same convention, if people want to walk on the left (wrong or unintended) side of a multi-use path, then they should step off the trail whenever another user comes toward them in that lane. (Usually they just glare at you and expect you to swerve into oncoming traffic on the other side of the path.) Otherwise, what rules apply when you have someone walking the wrong way, someone walking the right way, bicycles or rollerbladers coming from opposite directions, and they all meet at the same spot on the path? (Yes, I come across this situation relatively often on the John Nolen section of the Capital City Trail.) Who does what? Who yields, who moves left, who moves right? And if people don't step off of the path then you have them coming towards you either straight on or from the right, and bikes or bladers coming towards you on the left. So you can either squeeze between the pedestrians who are now on your right side coming the wrong way and the bikes coming the opposite direction on their own side of the path, or you can come to a dead stop and let the pedestrian choose which side to go around you. Whatever happens, it's just a Cluster... um it's a Big Mess. So Stay Right, and Pass On The Left WHEN It's Safe. John Rider Bicycle Safety Educator League of American Bicyclists League Cycling Instructor And Regional Trainer _______________________________________________ Bikies mailing list [email protected] http://www.danenet.org/mailman/listinfo/bikies
