I-Like-To-Bike

Pedestrians are walking in the center of the road? Must not be too much traffic and should be plenty of room to pass on the right no matter how much they zig or zag.

kite991

AHAHAHA sorry, I have tons of finals this week so I'm just little out of it. When I commute to campus theres a path too the side of the road (2 lane road, 1 going each direction), and cyclist and pedestrians use the little side road. It really is pretty wide compared to a side walk and is there to allow people to commute to and from campus. Pedestrians tend to zig-zag here and basically ignore bikers. I've had incidents where people who are going in the opposite of direction of me and can clearly see me decide to walk next to their friends which in turn push me onto the dirt.

I-Like-To-Bike

Sounds like the 2 lane road is the place to ride without pedestrian problems, unless the motorized traffic problems are worse.

kite991

UGH AHAHAHAH, It is pretty bad, you got college students driving, its horrible, the lanes are narrow and they will still try to pass you or get you to get off the road. There are plenty of other bikers, probably people who are on a team or something (they all have those fancy road bikes and those bike suits too) and I have yet to see one of them ride on the road with the cars. I've nearly been hit at least 10+ times this semester because either they don't see me, or figure that they have right away coming out of the parking structure.

rydabent

Bottom line-----------wearing earphones on a MUP is a really dumb idea. If you do dont get all bent out of shape if you are buzzed or hit.

genec

If folks are not reacting to an Air Zound, they are either very hearing impaired or zombies.

longbeachgary

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GP

USACE put in bike paths next to most if not all of the rivers in the LA District when they made improvements. It's a relatively cheap way to add east/west paths.

Keith99

Very long paths with no street crossings.

I-Like-To-Bike

The real bottom line is that cyclists on a MUP who run into pedestrians from behind are jerks, unless the pedestrian made some sudden change of direction immediately preceding the collision. Pedestrians' use of earphones are irrelevant, cyclists' shouted and/or obnoxious warnings that amount to nothing more than "look out, here I come" are unpleasant and unnecessary at best. Ride around the pedestrians at a safe distance, end of story.

Pedestrians ARE using earphones/cell phones, whatever on the MUP. Cyclists should get over it and ride accordingly on a MUP and not like obnoxious jackasses, or should get in the street and ride with the big kids.

Brandonub

I wear earphones running on a MUP. I stay far to the right though, so I've never really encountered any problems. I'm pretty self aware, so I've never been startled by a cyclist passing.

GP

The concrete is fairly new. It was a river with earth banks until the '30s or '40s.

alhedges

Another A&S post that shows that a lot of bikers are bullies just like the cars they are always complaining about. If a car passes too closely, it's whine, whine, whine...but because pedestrians are slower and weaker, they have to put up with whatever the more powerful cyclists want.

It's disgusting. And it's yet another reason why the populace at large doesn't like cyclists much.

longbeachgary

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Camilo

Frankly, I wouldn't ride up to anyone on a "bike path" that fast, regardless of calling out or whatever. You should overtake anyone -cyclist or pedestrian - at a safe speed that accounts for any boneheaded move they make. That means very slowly, hands on brakes, ASSUMING they'll be making some sort of unexpected move - not surprised by it.

I'm not saying the turning guy was not an idiot- he was. The overtaking rider, from what I see in the video was careless and more experience riding would teach him that he needs to be more cautious. This sort of thing happens all the time.

Like someone said above (to paraphrase) - you can "wish" all you want that pedestrians on MUPs would walk in a straight line, not listen to head phones, keep their kids and dogs on very short leashes, but SURPRISE!! they simply don't

Get over it. Ride according to what is really happening, not what you wish would happen. Unless it's a restricted bicycle only path, it's a MULTI USE path, and those other users have every right to use it, and the behaviors that are so annoying to some of you are simply NORMAL ways that people enjoy a walk.

Brandonub

This simple sentiment should be exercised by everyone, at all times. It solves about 95% of confrontational problems to simply think, "am I inconveniencing others?".

Commodus

This is my attitude as well. The right to walk around as we please is fundamental. I certainly would prefer it if pedestrians and various other path and road users would all behave in a polite fashion, but we as cyclists generally have no special privileges in this area. This 'stay to the right' stuff is just a suggestion, a request.

longbeachgary

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CB HI

Lets test your claims of pedestrians are weaker and cyclists more powerful. I challenge you to a dual, you get to buzz me all you want and I get to push you over all I want.

JoeyBike

I often walk on MUPs with my wife. We walk on the far LEFT edge facing wheeled traffic. Cyclists coming up from behind don't have to do anything but go past right where they are. When a cyclist approaches from up ahead we LOOK over our shoulders and move right if all is clear. If more cyclists are also behind us we just step off the path momentarily and watch all the grateful cyclists go past easily and safely.

JoeyBike

I often walk on MUPs with my wife. We walk on the far LEFT edge facing wheeled traffic. Cyclists coming up from behind don't have to do anything but go past right where they are. When a cyclist approaches from up ahead we LOOK over our shoulders and move right if all is clear. If more cyclists are also behind us we just step off the path momentarily and watch all the grateful cyclists go past easily and safely, then resume our walk.

It is all about attentiveness and a desire to be courteous to fast moving traffic same as if we were walking on a state highway populated with motor vehicles.

Most MUP users are oblivious, unaware, and entitled. Those users need to get buzzed IMO. At least they will be alert for a few moments thereafter and perhaps avoid causing an accident.

agent pombero

No. It is a Multi Use Path. Which means there will be cyclists (faster traffic) mixing amongst pedestrians. Reasonable pedestrians stay to the right unless they wanted to get speared at 20 mph.

Commodus

I think you'll find yourself on the wrong side of the law should you go vigilante in this way. So...'yes'.

agent pombero

I'm not going vigilante. All I'm saying is that accidents have happened on MUPs where spedestrians were hit by cyclists. A few years ago this happened on the Springwater MUP. The cyclist crashed into a pedestrian, enough to cause some bodily damage. Witnesses said the pedestrian was zigzagging and not paying attention. Nothing happened to the cyclists legally.

genec

You know, I honestly have to agree with you. Peds have ROW... and we cyclists should treat them just as we want to be treated by motorists... with care and caution.

Now playing devils advocate for a moment... peds walking side by side by side and blocking a well marked bikeway could show courtesy and leave way for cyclists to get by.

But indeed a cyclist should not expect to "fly by" or clip a ped under any circumstances... but we cyclists still should be prepared to avoid or warn a ped that makes a sudden "unpredictable move." Voice, bells and horns offer at least the opportunity to warn peds of your approach... but ultimately as we are arriving from behind, the cyclist has no ROW.

When I ride the local paths I too like to ride hard... but when I see peds ahead, I approach with caution and give a "cyclist behind you" or good morning/afternoon call out to let them know... and to gauge whether they are alert. If no reaction... approach with great caution.