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Multiuse trail rules: Left or Right side walking?
I'm sure this has been addressed ad nauseum, and I searched the Google
Usenet archives, but I have yet to find a definitive, sensible answer. I am a bike rider, walker/hiker, and dog walker. My position is that all pedestrians, including dog walkers, walk on the LEFT on multiuse trails so that they can see oncoming bike riders AND, more importantly, keep their unruly dogs under control by blocking them with their body to prevent them from charging into the trail. Dogs are trained by convention to walk on the left of their handler, so it makes sense for the handler to walk left to maintain trail safety. This, coupled with the convention of walking to the left on roads with automobiles to face traffic, seems to make it sensible to adopt the rule of walking left on multiuse trails. Many multiuse trails do not specify rules. Those that do sometimes say for all traffic to move on the right side. For dog walkers at least, this is a potential hazard. And bike riders have to deal with pedestrians not looking at oncoming traffic. In malls and parks with no bicycles and dogs allowed I can understand the natural tendency to walk to the right (and face oncoming Japanese and British tourists). Is this sensible or am I tilting at windmills? |
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#2
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Multiuse trail rules: Left or Right side walking?
kab wrote:
This, coupled with the convention of walking to the left on roads with automobiles to face traffic, seems to make it sensible to adopt the rule of walking left on multiuse trails. I'll buy all your reasons except this one. You don't seriously mean that it makes any difference on what side you walk on to face oncoming traffic on a trail do you. I think it would work nicely if pedestrians stayed on either side and let faster moving vehicles like bikes and inline skaters etc through in the middle. Reality shows us it isn't so though and unfortunately I don't think legislation is going to change this until we have grown into these rather newish phenomena. I'll give you an example from here in Sweden where we of course have legislation that deals with this in detail. OK so on every multiuse path we have a sign with a bicycle and a person walking with a child in one hand. There can also be pictures of horses and mopeds ( lightweight motorcycles restricted to 30 km/h ) of course. I'll leave horses and mopeds out of the discussion for now because I'm not sure how they are to be treated yet ( legally that is). There are two kinds of signs for paths that are for pedestrians and bikes. One has the picture of the person on top and the bike on the bottom. Clear enough. Bikes stay to the right and walkers stay to the left. The other one has the walker to either side and the bike to the other side. Far out. They are actually telling you which side you are to be on. Eeehhh. Let's see now, what did that last sign say. Was it to the... no or was it to the. Besides they are of course only placed at the beginning of each path. If ever I wanted to call somebody an idiot it is the person came up with that stupid idea. Oh how I hope he reads this. I gave up and am not even goin to try figure out how to yield for horses. Actually horses and dogs are the easiest to cope with. I always call out to them softly when a little distance off. They do not wear any headphones or cellulars and *always* hear me. -- Perre You have to be smarter than a robot to reply. |
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Multiuse trail rules: Left or Right side walking?
On Sun, 05 Oct 2003 18:13:12 -0400, kab
wrote: Is this sensible or am I tilting at windmills? If the other party isn't aware of courtesy or trail rules, enjoy the windmills. Barry |
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Multiuse trail rules: Left or Right side walking?
"B a r r y B u r k e J r ." wrote
in message ... If the other party isn't aware of courtesy or trail rules, enjoy the windmills. Barry Indeed. As I love to re-tell here, we had a bicycle path along a river here in Toronto. There were incidents with cyclists and walkers (it's called a "bike path" by the way..there were actually signs asking people to walk on the grass..to no avail..) and everyone thought what a great idea it would be to "twin" the trail..leave the existing paved one for cycling/inlines and have the second, new path as a more scenic, linestone path for walkers. Up go the signs "Cyclists/Inlines" on the paved, "Pedestrians" on the lime. Sure enough, pedestrians now use BOTH trails!! I really don't understand people. Women with prams actually use the paved trail now instead of the lime!! Why would they do this?!!? Such risk and for what?? Anyway, I find the whole thing rather depressing and actually avoid the trail to ride on the roads. Rather a shame really. Cheers, Scott.. |
#5
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Multiuse trail rules: Left or Right side walking?
"S. Anderson" wrote in message
... Sure enough, pedestrians now use BOTH trails!! I really don't understand people. Women with prams actually use the paved trail now instead of the lime!! Why would they do this?!!? Such risk and for what?? Anyway, I find the whole thing rather depressing and actually avoid the trail to ride on the roads. Rather a shame really. Not worth getting depressed. Paths are for enjoying nature, roads are for going places. Slow down, chat other users up, and enjoy the trail. Of course, in a few weeks as the leaves turn, a sunny weekend will pull thousand of strollers out to Wilkett Creek Park and all those people will be shuffling forward on the path, shoulder to shoulder, back to belly. It's like a mini Stones concert. Don't even think of bringing a bike. Doug Toronto |
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Multiuse trail rules: Left or Right side walking?
In article ,
Per Elmsäter wrote: kab wrote: This, coupled with the convention of walking to the left on roads with automobiles to face traffic, seems to make it sensible to adopt the rule of walking left on multiuse trails. I gave up and am not even goin to try figure out how to yield for horses. Actually horses and dogs are the easiest to cope with. I always call out to them softly when a little distance off. They do not wear any headphones or cellulars and *always* hear me. -- Perre You have to be smarter than a robot to reply. I propose a large bubble wrap dispenser at intervals on each multi use trail. Pedestrians shall wrap themselves in several layers of this to remind them that dangers may abound, and to mitigate collisions with horses, large dogs and joggers with headphones. ;-P -B -- Email Replies to johnsonnospm01j att ntelos dott net |
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Multiuse trail rules: Left or Right side walking?
kab wrote in message .. .
I'm sure this has been addressed ad nauseum, and I searched the Google Usenet archives, but I have yet to find a definitive, sensible answer. I am a bike rider, walker/hiker, and dog walker. My position is that all pedestrians, including dog walkers, walk on the LEFT on multiuse trails so that they can see oncoming bike riders ... Is this sensible or am I tilting at windmills? Both, I think. It's occurred to me, also, that it makes much sense for walkers to keep left on such trails. One of the reasons I avoid biking on such trails is that I've often been stopped by four-across peds who don't realize I'm behind them - and when they do realize it, they don't know which way to move! The problem is, in a drive-on-the-right country, people tend to walk on the right when on a sidewalk or in a mall. And they "think" of the bike path as a sidewalk, not as a road or shared facility. (That's to the extent they actually think, which is not much. In reality, they just operate by habit.) Thus, I think what you propose is very logical, and very unlikely to be implemented. Worse: when bicycling in North Dakota recently (a state that has a mandatory sidepath law) we actually saw bike paths with signs telling cyclists to keep _left_! As if there aren't enough problems with wrong-way riders... I think there must be _many_ incompetent bike facility designers out there! - Frank Krygowski |
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Multiuse trail rules: Left or Right side walking?
kab writes:
I am a bike rider, walker/hiker, and dog walker. My position is that all pedestrians, including dog walkers, walk on the LEFT on multiuse trails so that they can see oncoming bike riders AND, more importantly, keep their unruly dogs under control by blocking them with their body to prevent them from charging into the trail. Dogs are trained by convention to walk on the left of their handler, so it makes sense for the handler to walk left to maintain trail safety. This would get messy. Where does "pedestrian" end? Are people on skates pedestrians or bikers? How 'bout kick scooters? Do four-wheel vehicles belong on the left or right? Yesterday I walked on our trails with my wife's parents. Her dad was on a bike, we were walking, and we had a four wheel vehicle out in front. Should we have split across lanes based on our modes of transportation? What about the family I saw who was biking with their dog? The dog should be on the left while they stay on the right? I'm getting this vision of "rolling roadblocks" as people on different modes slowly move down the trail. This, coupled with the convention of walking to the left on roads with automobiles to face traffic, seems to make it sensible to adopt the rule of walking left on multiuse trails. I find it easier to just keep everyone to one side. There is no clear division by speed out there. We have slow bikers and fast 'bladers. Many multiuse trails do not specify rules. Those that do sometimes say for all traffic to move on the right side. Yes, I was thankful that ours is clear about it. http://ordlink.com/cgi-bin/hilite.pl..._and_mult.html I was curious about pedestrians staying to the left too. For dog walkers at least, this is a potential hazard. Dog walkers should control their dogs. A dog can dart around the walker walking on the left side of the trail. At least on the right side, the walker can stay to the far right with a leash held short enough to prevent the dog from crossing the centerline. And bike riders have to deal with pedestrians not looking at oncoming traffic. It's handled. * Persons riding bicycles upon a path shall maintain a safe speed, compatible with other users. * Whenever any person is riding a bicycle upon a path, such person shall yield the right-of-way to any pedestrian and shall give audible signal before overtaking and passing such a pedestrian. --kyler |
#9
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Multiuse trail rules: Left or Right side walking?
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#10
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Multiuse trail rules: Left or Right side walking?
This would get messy. Where does "pedestrian" end? Are people on
skates pedestrians or bikers? That brings to mind a riddle I am frequently given inadverantly by an inline skater. I often see him on training rides coming at me down the middle of the road. Now sometimes he is a "pedestrian" and goes to the left. Other times he is a "vehicle" and goes to the right. Of course, with the side by side action he has, it is hard to tell if he is going to continue on his zig to go one way or the other or whether he is going to zag back to a "straight" line. Makes things challenging. |
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