 |
June 2004, #21
The Path Most Traveled
Summer vacation begins NOW! It’s official. The weather
is perfect for day and evening strolls, bike rides, scooters,
etc. Alameda’s miles of shoreline trails and multi-user
trails are going to become much more crowded, a positive
sign that our community spirit is vibrant.
Upcoming developments at Bridgeside and other locations along
the estuary will be adding to our trail system, the upshot
of the constantly changing face of Alameda.
Conflicts along multi-user trails and paths are near the
top of the list of complaints that East Bay Regional Parks
employees hear about at Crown Beach and along Shoreline.
Pedestrians have concerns about the behavior of cyclists
who ride up quickly behind them and then pass, seemingly
just missing them. Cyclists complain about pedestrians who
walk two, three or four abreast, taking up the majority of
the path and act completely oblivious to other path users.
Cyclists should keep the following things in mind:
Speed – multi-user paths and trails are
just that, multi-user. Therefore, they need to be used as
such, which
means keeping speeds slow and appropriate for the design
of the path. Cyclists wanting to travel at high speeds should
use city streets that are designed to help travelers move
at higher speeds.
Call out – When approaching walkers, in-line skaters and
cyclists need to call out (or ring a bell) at a distance
that gives adequate warning to the people about to be overtaken.
Pedestrians, of all pathway users, have the ultimate right
of way (unless you’re using a trail that has equestrian
traffic. Equestrian riders have the right of way over all
users). Cyclists should approach from behind slowly and be
prepared to stop if necessary.
Behaviors – Paths and trails cater to a large group of users,
including children and pets that can be a bit unpredictable.
They are as much a social space as one used for transportation,
this means that one must be prepared to see a wide-range
of activities.
Pedestrians should keep the following things in mind:
Space – because paths and trails are designed to accommodate
many different users, pedestrians need to be aware of what’s
going on around them, especially in terms of approaching
faster moving bikers and skaters. Pedestrians are not required
to clear the path for wheeled travelers, but giving room
for safe passage allows for a safer environment for everyone.
When walking on a path, walkers should not take up more than
half of the path lane to allow users traveling in both directions
to pass.
Much of the conflict that occurs between cyclists and walkers
on paths is the direct result of one or the other acting
inappropriately on the trail. Often both parties are responsible.
Community spaces like paths and trails are just that - “community.” We
encourage everyone to work together to make the space pleasurable
for all users or the space will lose its usability and then
the entire community loses.
As the faster moving party (and therefore the one who can
cause the most injury), cyclists bear a much greater responsibility
to make sure that multi-use paths and trails are safe and
enjoyable, but pedestrians need to remain alert as well.
Jeff Swatman is the Alameda Police Department Traffic
Sergeant. If you have questions regarding pedestrian/bicycle
safety, please call him at 748-4508 extension 3342. John Knox
White and Audrey Lord-Hausman work with Pedestrian Friendly
Alameda (www.pedfriendly.org)
and BikeAlameda (www.bikealameda.org).
Go Back
|
