Robbie, if I give a warning and somebody jumps because they weren't expecting bicycles on a bike path, excuse me, "multi-user path," then who's the ass? I give plenty of warning and people get mad at me for, I don't know, disturbing the peace or something. And I am NOT a high speed rider. Then there are the people who, when you call out "On your left!", invariably turn their head to the left and swerve into your path... So obviously we have to be courteous. But the burden is not solely on bikers. Just as we have to be cognizant of cars when we choose the big road over the path, so must pedestrians be cognizant of bikers when they leave the sidewalks for the path.
-------------Patrick Lenon Date: Wed, 21 Nov 2012 15:02:10 -0600 Subject: Re: [Bikies] Courtesy or Nuisance? From: [email protected] To: [email protected] CC: [email protected] On Wed, Nov 21, 2012 at 1:45 PM, Patrick Lenon <[email protected]> wrote: Normally I give a warning and if they're startled, frankly, tough. They do know they're on a "bike path", right? Well, the problem is that it ISN'T a "bike path." And the city of Madison has been changing the signs to eliminate the word "bike" on path signs. It's a Multi-user Path (MUP, as written in a previous post as well as many technical writings.) We need to yield to slower users, just like car drivers need to yield to slower users and pass safely on roads. (those slower drivers would be us, in case you missed that point.) Again, the one issue is not simply announcing your presence or giving an "audible warning," as required by law - whether bell, horn, or voice - but making sure that the person hearing it can actually absorb the information before you go flying by. I didn't really think I had to spell this out, but maybe I do:"Don't be an ass, it makes life difficult for the rest of us, and just makes you look like, well, an ass." And here's another piece of advice that I gave a man who complained about needing to slow down because of pedestrians on the SW Path on his way to work: "If you are in such a hurry, perhaps Monroe St would be a better route for you. You can go as fast as you want there." Save the high-speed riding for roads with speed limits of 25 mph or higher. (20 in school zones.) Robbie Webber Transportation Policy Analyst State Smart Transportation Initiative www.ssti.us 608-263-9984 (o) [email protected]
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