Speed Limit on the Capitol Crescent Trail

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.