genman

I don't know if people have seen joggers in bicycle lanes, but in Seattle near the Greenlake area, I've often passed by joggers in the bicycle lane, or sometimes coming towards me the wrong way.

Despite my annoyance, I'm willing to share what lane space I have with joggers, but I'm not sure it's safe for all concerned.

Is there some convincing argument I might make to these people to stop using the lane?

Bruce Rosar

How about one of these:

1. The concrete sidewalk will be easier on your joints, as will stepping up to and down from the curb at intersections.
2. The surface variations of the grass shoulder will develop the strength of your ankles.
3. The travel lane is even wider than the bicycle lane.
4. If you don't get out of my way, I'm going to get angry (and I'm driving a bike!)

SingingSabre 

Asphalt has more give than concrete, hence why they run on it. Concrete is horrible for the joints.

Joggers are entitled to be on the road as far to the side as practicable, and are supposed to run opposing traffic.

Remember, peds have right of way, whether in a crosswalk or not.

Bruce Rosar

FYI: Pedestrians are supposed to travel in the opposite direction within the travel way, but technically they're also traffic (they're just not vehicular traffic).

I-Like-To-Bike

Yeah, scream at them as you go by "Get off the f'ing road". After all, the road belongs to you, eh?

Shiznaz

I purposely run them down with extreme prejudice.

sggoodri

I just merge left into the through lane. You could complain to your city government, and ask them to do some sort of education campaign to encourage pedestrians to stay on the sidewalk. However, I recommend against personal confrontations out on the road. Keep your cycling experiences positive.

Az B

Actually, this is not true, at least in my state. This is the only question missed on the written portion of the driving exam as I though just like you that peds always have the ROW.

However, I always go around them with plenty of clearance when safe. Usually, if it's not safe for me to get around them they will get out of the way.

What really burns me up is when they run on the mountain bike trails at our local park. The park has specifically segregated equestrians, mountain bikers, and hikers with each having thier own set of trails. For some reason, the joggers prefer running on the mountain bike trails. In these cases, I will mow them down.

Az

rhm

The roads through Central Park in Manhattan have a pedestrian lane and a bike lane,both at the left side. Both are nice and wide. The pedestrian path is separated from the bike path by a sort of railing made from railroad ties or something. The bike lane is separated from the road by a bunch of zebra-striping painted onto the road, about three or four feet wide. The bike lane is clearly marked as a bike lane. The pedestrian paths have encouraging slogans such as "do not ride bicycles on paths" painted on them.

In terms of usage, it's a free-for-all. Slow walkers, often with children, dogs, etc., frequent the pedestrian paths, while bicycles, bicycle taxis, joggers, and other walkers, often with baby carriages, etc. share the bike path. Occasionally a jogger will get onto the pedestrian path to stretch, tie his shoes, etc. The faster bikes ride on the zebra stripe, but a lot of the faster joggers like to ride on the zebra stripe as well. It is not uncommon for two or three joggers to go down the bike lane side-by-side. The bicycles mostly go in the direction of traffic, while the joggers and other pedestrians go both ways.

It's anarchy, but it's a civilized anarchy. Nobody complains, even if a tourist with a camera stops right in the middle of the bike path.

Incidentally, just to get to the bike path I have to ride about a hundred yards of pedestrian path. I try to be polite to the pedestrians and kind to the dogs. Nobody complains.

kartoffel

If it's a MUP thorough a park or greenway, what's wrong with joggers. The only thing that bugs me is that they're all over the place and rarely wear lights at night. Last fall I nearly rammed one head on who darted into the oncoming side of the path at the last minute.

genec

I just make sure they are aware of me by saying hello or good morning or good afternoon.

"On your left" doesn't work well as people hear that and tend to move left.

Yelling isn't required unless you are moving very fast and need to announce your arrival long in advance.

Share the road.

SingleSpeeDemon

Exactly. Joggers w/o blinkies or lights deserve to get hurt when jogging in the BIKE LANE.

bigpedaler

c'mon, it's simple -- foot travel is what sidewalks are made for; it's their purpose! streets are for wheels -- the only time pedestrians are OK in the streets is when there are no sidewalks (like my street). to all of you out there who say joggers are ok on the roads -- HELLO!?! EVER HEAR OF SOMETHING CALLED "JAYWALKING??"

not having bike lanes in my town, it's hard for me to relate to this particular problem, but hey -- joggers in bike lanes are like speedbumps, right?(LOL)

seriously, though....

sggoodri

I treat pedestrians in the bike lane the same way I want motorists to treat me when I'm using my bike in the travel lane. I just ignore them and move over to pass at safe distance.

Scot_Gore

We've had an interesting dynamic develop over the years. Along the Mississippi River in Minneapolis there's a dedicated pedestrian lane, a dedicated bikeway (with a 10 mph speed limit) with two way travel lanes, and then the 30mph limit Mississippi River Parkway that allows motor vehicles.

The runners are technically required to run on the pedestrian lane, however it's full of walkers with their dogs, their baby strollers, and unpredictable behavior. This makes it too hard for the "serious" jogger to use the lane (sound familiar), so they've slipped in mass over to the 10 mph bike lane. Now the bike lane is full of joggers. They make it hard for cyclist to use the bike lane, almost all cyclist have slipped over onto the parkway. The 10mph speed limit had most "serious" cyclist on the parkway already, but now the traffic has moved the Sunday cruisers onto the Parkway as well.

Scot

skanking biker

On the way home from work yesterday there was a jogger running WITH traffic in the poor excuse for a bike "lane"/shoulder/whatever at dusk, wearing a black and red sweatshirt and no reflective clothing----despite the existence of a sidewalk 4 feet away from him.

joejack951

Wow, some of you sound a lot like the obnoxious jerks I encounter on the roads while biking. It's public space. Get over it.

noisebeam

Its much safer (at least here) to run in the shoulder/bike lane against traffic flow for the very same reasons its safer to not ride on the sidewalk - the runner and drivers have much better ability to see each other.
I used to run quite a bit and learned quickly to avoid right hooks, drivers pulling over sidewalk without looking, etc. by running non on the sidewalk. I was hit once my a driver exiting an alley while I was running along the sidewalk.
Of course as one is running against traffic one still needs to be aware that drivers are not going to look in your direction, but this is offset by the extras sightline one has to see them first. Of course I'll step off road onto curb/sidewalk to allow for approaching vehicles including bicycles. Pedestrians can move laterally very quickly.
Lots of runners here run in the bike lanes and its just as easy to pass them as it is to pass a slower cyclist.
Al

Ed Holland

Not a problem. If they are facing traffic, they usually move over AND I check behind, signal and move out to ensure they have room. If they are running with traffic, I'll move out into the main traffic lane & pass. Occasionally I have shouted "bike!" If they can hear you (depends if they are wearing headphones) this is unambiguous (better than on your left) and they'll move over a little - for which I'll say thanks.
There is plenty of time to deal with any of the above situations - it's certainly not worth getting excited about.

Ed

Roughstuff

I don't know if people have seen bicycles in automobile lanes, but in Seattle near the Greenlake area, I've often passed by bicycles in the automobile lane, or sometimes coming towards me the wrong way.

Despite my annoyance, I'm willing to share what lane space I have with bicycles, but I'm not sure it's safe for all concerned.

Is there some convincing argument I might make to these people to stop using the lane?

Sound familiar?

As my logic professor used to say in class, how does it feel when the foo is on the other shoot?

roughstuff

mtnwalker

If its a hot female jogger wearing those hot shorts they always wear, I will slow down and draft behind her.

GreenGrasshoppr

I don't mind pedestrians on bike paths/lanes... what I do mind is groups of pedestrians blocking the whole width of it and who don't budge even when prompted with a bike bell.

/I don't get mad.
//I get even.
///I pass them on the grass, then park my bike in the middle of the path in front of them, all perpendicular-like.
////I repeat as necessary.
/////The message, however subtle, gets across.

Bekologist

i've seen them. It's a clear statement to increase non-motorized accomodations integrated with the road grid, in my opinion. close off Greenlane way to cars entirely ? make them take aurora and side streets to get home?

Greenlake way is a racetrack most mornings, despite its neighborhood nature and two lanes.

I've seen joggers in the wide bike lane on Woodlawn avenue as well, jogging 3 abreast, taking up 12 feet of lane. Maybe the city needs to increase non-motorized accomodations so joggers, rollebladers, strollers, as well as bikes have space on the roads?

I like the way the road is striped out on Westlake Samammish way, and going towards Renton along lake washington. lane for peds, lane for bikes. greenlake might benefit from a similar restriping.

but the auto-centric nature of seattles' new 'bike master plan' makes that unlikely.

donnamb 

I pass them, though I could wish that they would not be using their iPods in the road. I find it so uncivilized to have to use my airhorn for a pedestrian. In this state, they are required to use the sidewalk when one exists. I've never seen a distinction made for running or jogging pedestrians as opposed to walking pedestrians. We do have sidewalks just about everywhere in town. I get the whole asphalt versus concrete thing, but we just have way too many bikes on the road here for it to work well.

I-Like-To-Bike

Don't complain about too many bikes. You might be thought a Forester spouting elitist.