Bicyclists who ride too fast face tickets and fines on the 8-mile trail in Creve Coeur County Park in St. Louis County.
I like multi-use trails. I’m a member of Ozark Greenways, and I support the building of more trails in Springfield. I hope we can one day have a beltway of trails around Springfield.
Multi-use trails such as the one in the news report are parks for the enjoyment of many users. The primary purpose of these trails is recreation, although some (e.g. South Creek Greenway in Springfield) can provide a travel/commuting route for bicyclists.
Just as cars are the big, dangerous machine on the streets, bicycles are the big, dangerous machine on the trails. That means we bicyclists have an extra responsibility to use caution just as the drivers of cars have an extra responsibility to use caution.
Riding too fast on a greenway is not particularly smart (or responsible, or courteous) and leads to predictable results.
Just as it is inappropriate for drivers to think of us as annoying on the road (given lawful and safe riding), it is inappropriate for bicyclists to think of other trail users as annoying (given appropriate use). What we should all be doing is thinking of each other as fellow human beings. We should be watching out for each other (what a concept!).
(via Roger Kramer)
Comments 5
Also why we should fight like hell to maintain our rights to ride on the roadway where pedestrians, children, dogs and the like do not roam unpredictably.
I’m really trying not to respond negatively without having all of the facts but based on this report it seems awful silly.
Its totally subjective. If I was going 16 mph would I get a ticket of up to $1000.00? what if I was going 20 mph? What is the speed limit?
Posted 31 Jul 2009 at 9:32 am ¶Robert beat me to it, as did part of the news report. The law isn’t “Calvinball”. If [you] want to ticket for speeding, post a speed limit. I think the root problem is reckless driving, which is indeed a universal complaint (roads or greenways).
The other angle the cops could take is “failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident”, which puts the onus on the cyclist regardless of pedestrian behavior.
Shrug, either way I think posting something tangible as opposed to writing tickets on one person’s say-so is the better solution, insofar as rules and regulations go. “Plain ole common sense” works too.
Posted 31 Jul 2009 at 10:45 am ¶Robert… I agree re: subjectivity. But they might apply one of those “standards” that account for subjectivity, e.g. careless and imprudent. The larger problem is a general lack of consideration by far to many users of the trails, the roads … just about everything
Ethan… Common sense works if its foundation is a general regard for the welfare of other trial/road users.
Posted 31 Jul 2009 at 10:47 am ¶One problem is that a bicyclist going 15-20 mph on a trail may feel completely in control and probably is completely in control. However, a pedestrian may think that the bicyclists is out of control and going to fast. This can sometimes lead to needless arguments.
A friend of mine was cruising down a hill going about 15 mph when a elderly pedestrian yelled, “slow down, you are going too fast!” My friend slammed on his brakes and walked back towards the elderly (and now not so confident) pedestrian and said, “you are absolutely correct and I apologize.”
: )
Posted 31 Jul 2009 at 12:08 pm ¶Robert… Good story
Wow, 15 sounds awfully fast to me. I regularly cruise 15-18 these days on the street. But I’m a 10 mph guy on the trails.
Posted 31 Jul 2009 at 4:30 pm ¶