Seems to be na annual subject. Here is something John Rider correctly wrote
last year and
other years. Mike Rewey
On 2 Jul 2007 at 20:35, John Rider wrote:
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
******************************************8
On 16 May 2008 at 10:56, Shae Darvin wrote:
Shae D.
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: RE: [Bikies] Motorized Bike on SW Path
Date: Fri, 16 May 2008 10:56:16 -0500
If you are walking on the bike path, which is a multi-use path, do you or
should you walk against bicycle traffic like someone would do if they were
walking on the road? I am under the belief that one should walk against traffic
because even when I shout on your left, sometimes I scare the pants off of some
people.
I have seen an increase use in the paths this summer and I am concerned
that with more bikers that there may be more accidents. Are there path
guidelines that could be posted to give everyone a heads up before entering
paths?
Shae D.
> Subject: RE: [Bikies] Motorized Bike on SW Path
> Date: Fri, 16 May 2008 09:46:32 -0500
> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> To: [email protected]
>
> 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).
>
> Until motorists, bicyclists, pedestrians, and others can get over their
> "entitlement" we cannot solve out traffic safety problems. Whatever our
> mode of transportation / recreation, we all need to operate in a way
> that places the safety of others we interact with above our own
> convenience.
>
> Robbie is absolutely correct that these are "MULTI-USE PATH and all
> users need to yield to slower users." O
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