Park officials have decided to impose a 15 mph speed limit on cyclists on the Capitol Crescent Trail, one of the most popular trails in the DC region. It was an arbitrary decision made without an opportunity for hearing or public comment.
And one that will have little impact on public safety -- if any.
Yes, there are unsafe cyclists. But as someone who is one these trails every day, it's the pedestrians who pose the greatest safety hazards to cyclists and to themselves.
Each day I see:
Peds wearing Ipods oblivious to traffic around them.
Ditto peds talking on cell phones
Dog walkers with their dogs unleashed
Dog walkers with their dogs on long leashes with the dog darting back and forth across the trail
Peds walking two or three abreast blocking the trail in both directions and who fail to heed to passing warnings
And, in my book, the worst: walking the wrong way on the path.
Cyclists have the Washington Area Bicyclists Association which promotes trail sharing and safety.
If there is a pedestrian equivalent I've not heard of it.
And why 15 mph? How did they arrive at that magic number. While the average cycling speed varies greatly, some have pegged it around 12.5 mph. So will 15 mph encourage the average cyclists to speed up and improve their speed?
A safe cyclist will slow down on a crowded trail and be as predictable as possible in his or her movements, warning those they pass. Most cyclists are aware of the rules of the road and adhere to them. It seems to me many pedestrians are not aware and act as if the trails belong to them. Recently I gave a warning -- as required -- as I passed a pedestrian on the GW trail. She raised her hands at me in indignation as if to say I was being rude to her and that she wasn't doing anything wrong.
At night I am shocked by the number of peds on the trails with dark clothing, no reflective material and no light. Do they have a death wish?
The move to enact the speed limit is being portrayed as "educational." Fine. But focusing just on the cyclists on the trails misses the bulk of the problem.
8 comments:
Ugh. At first this got me irritated but now I'm figuring: how are they going to enforce this? Cops with radar guns scattered throughout the park? In special hiding places?! In reality it probably won't be much of an issue (I hope).
Aah...you are full of it. Probably just another overweight consultant who spent too much $$ on his bike and wants to ride like an a**hole on the trail. Problem is NOT pedestrians, but you "wannabe Lances"
Peds are oblivious to what is going on. Whether riding to work or riding on the trail, they pay no attention to what's going on around them - they are too engrossed in the song on the iPod or the conversation on the phone. And since I know you and can vouch for the fact that you are NOT an overweight consultant (an neither am I - we both have little a$$es) as well as the fact that both of us us our bikes as our primary mode of transportation. But the other person who left a comment won't hear us ringing the bells on our jet propelled bikes over the loud conversation on his Blackberry Pearl.
I like your take Scott.
I haven't seen anything posted about the speed limit but this is the second place I have heard about it so I am guessing it's true. I was pretty annoyed when they were pulling bikes over at the crosswalk in Bethesda for not stopping at the stop signs... I was in shock that they were attacking the bikers and not the cars that almost kill us daily.
A speed limit is just stupid. I don't have a speedometer on my bike, so how should I know how fast I am going in the first place.
I don't even carry ID when I bike on the Crescent Trail.
I guess this is another case of honest citizens being turned into criminals by dumb laws.
urrgh.. for bike commuters this is awful. Im going to need to wear a laser detector on my helmet. This appears to be done with no reasoning or measurable way to balance pedestrian concerns with bike concerns. Why not start this on weekends when there is the most pedestrian traffic? During bike commuting hours, getting a good speed is essential for bike commuters. At 15 mph there's no workout. Joggers get their workout. Why cant cyclists? It just doesnt seem like they've explored options or have made any attempt. Somebody just got pissed off and said, 'put up the signs george!'.
I'm not familiar with the Capitol Crescent Trail, and I don't own a bike, so my perspective will differ.
There are a LOT of crazy, self-absorbed people in this town. Drivers who plow through crosswalks without looking, bikers who weave through traffic and ignore signs and signals, waddling tourists hogging the sidewalks, everything you could imagine. The difference between the rude drivers, bikers, and pedestrians is that the drivers and bikers have way more power to hurt others. This is due to their excessive speed. The faster you go, the more of a responsibility you have to keep roads and trails safe.
I really can't tell you how many times I've nearly been run down by some Lance Armstrong-abee who won't walk his bike across bridges or narrow paths, or thinks we should all leap out of his way because he's got a hard-on for speed. It's way scarier than a jogger iPod zombie.
I wish bikers knew to share the road and slow down when there's a crowd. But, unfortunately, many don't, and they're ruining it for the rest of you. So instead of railing against speed limits, I wish y'all would rail against the speed demons who turn leisure paths into a raceway. It's one thing to commute by bike, but these people zip by on the weekends as well.
The speed limit is basically turning etiquette into legislation - and it shouldn't be that way.
Shannon -- the Washington Area Bike Association "rails" against inappropriate speed through its safety courses and educational materials. I concede there are bad apples, but my guess -- borne out by experience as both a frequent pedestrian and cyclist on DC area trails -- is that a much higher percentage of cyclists understand the rules of the road than pedestrians do.
Safety is the responsibility of everyone using the trails. And the Ipod wearing zombies (zompodbies?)are creating a safety hazard when they can't hear the audible warning I'm required to give when passing them or to let them know I'm there.
Bonjorno, scottstake.blogspot.com!
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