On May 16, 2008, at 9:46 AM, Ross, Arthur wrote:
Frank Hassler wrote <As for bike/pedestrian interactions on the bike
path, I think walkers and runners need to be more responsible for
their
own well being. >
Unfortunately, this is the kind of thinking that has gotten to the
point
where, as a society, we think nothing of killing 40,000 people a
year on
our highways (an epidemic if this many people were killed by any other
means) and when someone is brought to court for killing someone with a
motor vehicle there are few if any consequences because it was just an
"accident" (unless the driver was drunk).
I don't think these are related issues at all. Some of the really
rude pedestrians on the MUTS might as well be stepping into a busy
street without looking where they are going and expecting every other
road user to yield to them. Do you ride your bike down Regent or
Willy Street, in the middle of the lane or two breast, or swerving all
over the place with headphones on paying no attention to the other
roadway users around you? No you don't because its unsafe and
uncourteous.
I think the problem with fast bikers is that everyone's impression of
"too fast" and "too close" are relative. After years of racing I am
quite comfortable going 20-25 mph within inches of people and objects,
but I have enough courtesy to keep the speeds down on the in-town
paths, especially around the kiddies. I think the really problematic
users are the roadie-wanna-be's who feel the need to get their speed
on, but don't have the experience, confidence or endurance to actually
take it out to the roads.
I think the problem with many slow trail users is that they think of
it as a safe and quite place to spend some time, without realizing
that other people on the Southwest COMMUTER Path have places to go and
things to do.
The paths are a shared resource and people need to share it. What it
really comes down to is that there are people out there who just don't
respect others when they are using the paths, whether they be speedy
bikers or wandering walkers.
Frank Hassler
Good Oak, LLC: Native Landscaping & Ecological Consulting
(608) 209-0607
www.goodoakllc.com
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