Google sponsored links
The Friends of Forester will love this article. Note: The Boston Globe typically does not leave stuff posted on-line for very long, so read fast.
The link to the article (http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/07/01/rage_on_the_bikeway/)
This does indeed highlight some of the problems, but basically it boils down to lack of common sense, civil decency, and courtesy. The same reasons people get into fistfights over parking spaces, or who has too many items in the Fast-checkout line at the grocery store.
When I use the Minuteman, it's very early on weekday mornings, and I never have any of the problems mentioned in the article.
This is an archived thread, you can find the full version of this thread, with images, links and more content
here.
Ready to buy? Check out these two online bike stores:
-
http://www.nashbar.com (you can find the latest bike nashbar coupons in
this thread)
-
http://www.performancebike.com (you can find the latest performance bike coupons in
this thread)
Cya on the forums,
- The BikeForums Team
-
http://www.bikeforums.net
The Minuteman is a minefield on weekends. People bring out very small children and don't expect that they'll have to abide by good traffic behavior "because it's a bikepath". After having too many close calls and runs into the ditch thanks to the 'little miracles' and their handlers, I'll stick to Mass. Ave. from now on. Also, why do I see idiots every time with unleashed dogs on the bikepath?
Doesn't sound like a good route to make time on.
Similarly, inline skaters complain: "The bikers have this supremacy about them," said Peter Roy as he slid on a pair of roller blades. "They're pushing 30-35 miles per hour. They hit us, we're toast."
Sounds familiar, heh.
Then they go on to say:
The committees say they don't have the money to widen the path, create new traffic lanes, or monitor the speed and behavior of the people who use it....
Though there are no plans for widening or other improvements to the trail, local officials are hoping to make the Minuteman longer. Lexington residents recently approved funding for a $125,000 master plan to create a 2-mile connector between the Minuteman Bikeway and the Battle Road Trail.
Seems like they should work out the problems they have on the path before connecting to other paths, which would only increase traffic and the amount of problems. Widening the path and marking lanes should be their first priority.
Maybe the police department could start patrolling on bicycles? Is the 15mph speed limit a law or just a suggestion somebody thought they would put on a sign that looked official?
The Friends of Forester will love this article...
Why would you make this statement?
Full article:
By Matt Viser, Globe Staff | July 1, 2007
LEXINGTON-- Frank Corsino walks nimbly, a cane in his left hand, a transistor radio in his right. He wears a driving cap and a wide grin, and for years along the peaceful, tree-lined Minuteman Bikeway, the 84-year-old man found solace after his wife and former walking partner died.
But these days it is a different story. Instead of the spirit-restoring stroll he used to enjoy, he finds himself going into combat mode, dodging torrents of joggers, cyclists, stroller-pushers, dog-walkers, and roller bladers who have flocked to the 11-mile trail in mind-boggling numbers.
Community leaders who oversee the trail say its popularity is higher now than in any of the 14 years it's been open, and the Washington-based Rails-to-Trails Conservancy estimates that there are 2 million annual users, making it the second-busiest trail of its kind in the country.
But as thousands each day compete for space on the trail's 12-foot-wide strip of asphalt, passing through meadows, suburban town centers, and manicured backyards, confrontations have become increasingly common. Police have been called out so often to resolve angry, and sometimes bizarre, disputes that they have coined a new term.
"We have road rage," said Arlington Police Chief Fred Ryan. "And now we have bikeway rage."
In a 3-mile stretch in Arlington , police have filed 18 reports over the past year -- more than the previous two years combined -- that have ranged from bike-on-bike accidents to a woman who received unwanted sexual advances one afternoon while push ing her baby daughter in a stroller. Some men have been spotted running naked, others urinating in the bushes.
In one instance several years ago, a bicyclist kicked a Jack Russell terrier and yelled at the dog's owner, "Get the [expletive] over to the right!" as he passed by. Police tracked down the bicyclist and, after he apologized to the dog owner, did not press charges.
"It's a good thing that it's used so much," said David Watson, executive director of the Massachusetts Bicycle Coalition. "But in some ways I guess you can call it a victim of its own success."
The Minuteman Bikeway -- running from the western edge of Cambridge and through Arlington, Lexington, and Bedford -- was completed in 1993 as part of a rails-to-trails movement that has been converting inactive railroad corridors into leafy recreational paths. There are 28 such trails in Massachusetts, but people flock to the Minuteman because it is one of the few in the Boston area.
There are cyclists in full-body spandex suits, aerodynamic helmets, and titanium bikes that go fast enough to leave roadkill in their wake. There are roller bladers, swaying back and forth to music playing on headphones. There are dog-walkers, stroller-pushers, and frequent choruses of "On your left!" screamed by cyclists as they whiz by pedestrians.
There's a woman who walks a pet llama on a leash. A man used to ride his bike with a live parrot on his shoulder. Snapping turtles have been known to slow traffic to a standstill.
On weekdays, some subway commuters take the trail to Alewife Station in Cambridge. Pedestrians can be seen reading books as they walk, and a few cyclists chat on cellphones, one hand on the phone and another gripping the handlebars. On weekends, recreational users and families pour in from the suburbs, packing the parking lots near the path.
"My favorite part," said 6-year-old Jessica Poulin last week, "is stopping for ice cream."
Others were less sunny.
"The roller bladers are too wide," said Rachel Shanley, a biker, referring to the weaving stride of inline skaters. "They take up the whole path."
Message Board YOUR VIEW: Your experience on the path?
MORE INFO: The Minuteman Bikeway's official website
Globe graphics:
Pop-up One hour on the trail
Pop-up Minuteman timeline
From Explore New England:
Photo Gallery 15 great bike tours from Cape Ann to Newport
Cape Cod trail kicks into high gear Photo Gallery Photos
Similarly, inline skaters complain: "The bikers have this supremacy about them," said Peter Roy as he slid on a pair of roller blades. "They're pushing 30-35 miles per hour. They hit us, we're toast."
Other popular rail trails, such as the Washington and Old Dominion Trail in Virginia, have posted speed limits of 15 miles per hour and several dozen volunteers along the trail hand out warnings to speedsters. Newer trails are often wider than the Minuteman, and have separate lanes for walkers and joggers.
Construction to revamp the 22-mile Cape Cod Rail Trail was completed last month , adding amenities and traffic-easing measures including a bicycle round about, seating area, and information kiosks where several trails converge. That trail is now cited as a model trail in Massachusetts, though it has fewer users.
The Minuteman trail, which sits on a former MBTA railbed and roughly follows part of the route where Paul Revere rode in 1775 to alert the countryside of the imminent British invasion, is maintained by volunteer committees in each of the four communities the trail passes through. Police departments respond to reports along the path by sending armed officers out on mountain bikes.
The committees say they don't have the money to widen the path, create new traffic lanes, or monitor the speed and behavior of the people who use it. Plans are afoot to repave the Lexington section of the path, and officials are considering posting more signs to encourage users to slow down and be more courteous of others. About two years ago, blue and white signs went up saying, "Keep Right, Share the Path," though some of those were stolen, and others tagged with graffiti.
The committees also have stuck to a philosophy of ensuring the Minuteman is accessible to all; they'd rather it be crowded than exclusionary, officials say. They have only one hard-and-fast rule, that there can be no motorized vehicles, unless it's a wheelchair.
"Basically, stay to the right and be happy," said Jack Johnson, chairman of the Arlington Bicycle Advisory Committee. "If you don't like it, go find another path. It wasn't designed for one person or one type of person. It was designed as a multi use system."
Though there are no plans for widening or other improvements to the trail, local officials are hoping to make the Minuteman longer. Lexington residents recently approved funding for a $125,000 master plan to create a 2-mile connector between the Minuteman Bikeway and the Battle Road Trail. Local officials also hope to one day connect the Minuteman to other paths, such as the Central Mass. Rail Trail and the trails along the Charles and Mystic rivers.
Corsino has been trimming the weeds outside his house, which abuts the trail, to encourage people to walk on the grass, out of the way of fast-moving bikers and roller bladers. He said he's seen so many spills that he carries a fistful of bandages in his pocket for first aid.
He has had his share of encounters, too. He recalls one day when a troop of Boy Scouts on bicycles came barreling by and he was hit by one.
"I went flying," he said. "The boy who hit me fell off the bike, his helmet went flying. He was just spread-eagle out there."
Matt Viser can be reached at maviser@globe.com
Sounds like lots of congestion at peak times, just like you'll find on any road, but unlike the roads nobody is killing anyone else in the process.
There's a nice bike path I can take too and from work. It increases the commute time from 20-25 minutes to 30-35 minutes, so I don't take it every day, and I avoid it on nice afternoons because it's filled with too many idiots. Not too many people. Too many idiots--people who don't know how to deal with traffic. I'm a foul-weather bike path rider.
Too many peds on bike paths think they're on a sidewalk. They don't realize that they're basically walking on a road. Instead of maintaining a straight line to and remaining aware of their surroundings, they meander to and fro and where MP3 players. Sometimes they are especially careless with their kids.
On the other and, too many cyclists fail to understand that the overtaking vehicle has the duty to pass only when it's safe. My fellow cyclists rarely signal their approach. One day when I didn't feel well and was riding really slowly, I was passed dozens of times, and only had one fellow cyclist signal a pass.
And I agree with Cyclaholic, they shouldn't improve access to the path until they deal with the congestion that's already there.
Ironically, I use the bike path all the time (I used to use it to get to work and also on easy days) and I have rarely had a problem. I ride my road bike and rarely go over 18MPH and usually move into the other lane if I need to pass and give plenty of warning and room. There are pedestrians, joggers, roller-bladers, other cyclists etc and most of the time they get along fine (its about compromise and cooperation)
However, a couple of days ago my wife and I were riding on it and saw a bunch of pedestrians on the other side taking up the whole left lane (which is fine, its not like they were taking the whole path) and some 'serious' looking biker dude came flying from behind them and yelled 'MOVE!' very loudly and rudely. Now, all he had to do was cross the middle line (and also to be honest, if you are flying at 25+MPH on the bike path during its busiest time you need to get on the damn road. I am a roadie and I can't stand roadies who use the bike path as their own personal space to do interval training (its the same way I feel about drivers who feel that they own the road).
Ironically, I use the bike path all the time (I used to use it to get to work and also on easy days) and I have rarely had a problem. I ride my road bike and rarely go over 18MPH and usually move into the other lane if I need to pass and give plenty of warning and room.
The West Side Bike Path in New York City is exactly the same. There's no way you're going to do 18 mph for any length of time on that path. It's more like a 10-12 mph path and when groups of people are walking, the pace can slow to 5 mph!
This summer, someone was placing tacks on the pathway causing cyclist to get flats. That was road rage on a bike path. The person was never found.
I haven't seen (or experienced) any thumbtacks, but I have noticed a fair number of smashed bottled on various MUPS around the Boston area this year. As you ride along the MUPS, you always see the various Bud bottles and Heineken bottles in the bushes by side of the trail. But this season, there a lot of smashed bottles right in the middle of the MUPS, suggesting the bottles were smashed right there on purpose.
I haven't seen (or experienced) any thumbtacks, but I have noticed a fair number of smashed bottled on various MUPS around the Boston area this year. As you ride along the MUPS, you always see the various Bud bottles and Heineken bottles in the bushes by side of the trail. But this season, there a lot of smashed bottles right in the middle of the MUPS, suggesting the bottles were smashed right there on purpose.
+1 , I had 7 flats in 7 days in one route, 99.999% sure it was broken bottles in the underpass ... I noticed the parks rec guys finally came out and broomed it... no more flats. My guess would be guys who drink while playing frisbee/golf in that area that are doing it.
same old story,....they call it a bikeway and it ends up being used for everything but...and the people actually ON the bikes are seen as Panzer tanks, bent on death. But the cyclists are the only ones who actually seem to look where they're going. Essentially, on weekends i just avoid the path as much as possible.
Cyclists and Peds have a lot in common. Rather than battle it out between each other, we should work together to make more and improve bike/ped ways. The overwhelming popularity of the Minuteman trail demonstrates the success and benefits of having these trails. Why don't more cities support these efforts?
The problems that arise from the trails existence are nothing in comparison to not having the trail at all. Some might call these "good problems".
There will always be narcissistic idiots who only care about the things that they value and will do almost anything, be it aggressive or passive aggressive, to play out their mixed up and a-social reality. But there seems like there is a real load issue here. Not only do you get pets, kids, a variety of cyclists, skaters and crazies but you get a lot of them. And you must have many passing events, each one a potential for an accident. If this where a congested road, they'd start to widen and expand it.
I haven't seen (or experienced) any thumbtacks, but I have noticed a fair number of smashed bottled on various MUPS around the Boston area this year. As you ride along the MUPS, you always see the various Bud bottles and Heineken bottles in the bushes by side of the trail. But this season, there a lot of smashed bottles right in the middle of the MUPS, suggesting the bottles were smashed right there on purpose.
You know, I never thought about this but I've noticed a lot of smashed bottles on the Minuteman trail (meaning at least 2-3 per ride end to end). Last year I noticed none.
Same thing happening here on the Monon Trail. Peds complaining bicyclists are rude, unsafe and hazardous to their health. All the while they are walking two to 4 abreast.
They even complain about the simple "on your left" most cyclists call out as a warning.
I always share this bike path conundrum.
When I was in Belchertown, Mass., some landowners opposed a bike path because 'it would be used by drug dealers.'
When I was in Colombia on my world tour, some drug cartels opposed bike paths because they feared 'it would be used by the police.'
roughstuff
Serious cyclists belong on the road. Bikepaths are incredibly dangerous for people on bicycles. Bikepaths should only be used by walkers, runners, dogwalkers, and rollerbladers.
Seems odd to me that folks who walk or rollerblade are complaining about bikes on something called a BIKEWAY.
Cars have highways and expressways, pedestrians have sidewalks and we have bike lanes (aka bike paths / bikeways). Would the pedestrians and rollerbladers walk in a bike lane and then object to bikes in the bike lane? The logical solution is to tell these folks that they are on a bike path and should not only respect bicycle traffic, but yield to it as well. Or maybe stay off it.
Serious cyclists belong on the road. Bikepaths are incredibly dangerous for people on bicycles. Bikepaths should only be used by walkers, runners, dogwalkers, and rollerbladers.
You stay on the road if you want to but don't put everyone else in the same boat as you. Should cyclists give up their rights to tax supported facilities such as this? If you want to...fine...but don't speak for anyone else but yourself. If MUP users would simply follow the rules....stay to the right(what's so hard about that?) eveyone could use the trails.
Seems odd to me that folks who walk or rollerblade are complaining about bikes on something called a BIKEWAY.
Cars have highways and expressways, pedestrians have sidewalks and we have bike lanes (aka bike paths / bikeways). Would the pedestrians and rollerbladers walk in a bike lane and then object to bikes in the bike lane? The logical solution is to tell these folks that they are on a bike path and should not only respect bicycle traffic, but yield to it as well. Or maybe stay off it.
Guess it depends on whether a path is "designed" to be a bikepath or a MUP.
The quotes signify that few recreational facilities are actually designed with much thought as opposed to laying out a path and decreeing it a {fill in the blank}.
-G
Serious cyclists belong on the road. Bikepaths are incredibly dangerous for people on bicycles. Bikepaths should only be used by walkers, runners, dogwalkers, and rollerbladers.
Maybe they shouldn't call them bikepaths then, hmmm?
Not everyone is a 'serious' cyclist. Some are slowly, gradually working toward being 'serious' cyclists, others are content to be part-time, recreational cyclists. And it's reasonable to expect that someone who is learning their skills or chooses a pleasant BIKEPATH for a leisurely ride could actually use something called a bikepath.
Seems odd to me that folks who walk or rollerblade are complaining about bikes on something called a BIKEWAY.
Cars have highways and expressways, pedestrians have sidewalks and we have bike lanes (aka bike paths / bikeways). Would the pedestrians and rollerbladers walk in a bike lane and then object to bikes in the bike lane? The logical solution is to tell these folks that they are on a bike path and should not only respect bicycle traffic, but yield to it as well. Or maybe stay off it.
HUH? Am i reading correctly? Let me snip and snap as I have done before, and put the foo on the other shoot:
Would the cyclists ride in a car lane and then object to cars in the car lane? The logical solution is to tell these folks that they are on a roadyway and should not only respect automobile traffic, but yield to it as well. Or maybe stay off it.
"Lets's you and him support mutiple use facilities. As for me, get out of the way!"
roughstuff
Guess it depends on whether a path is "designed" to be a bikepath or a MUP.
The quotes signify that few recreational facilities are actually designed with much thought as opposed to laying out a path and decreeing it a {fill in the blank}.
-G
I have never seen a bike path that wasn't ever used by peds.
I have never seen a bike path that wasn't ever used by peds.
Or geese. Goose poop is everywhere on the Ashwilticook trail in the berkshires, and it makes a goosey strip up your back if you don't have a fender or a solid rack above your rear wheel! :)
roughstuff
Denny Koll & EnigManiac...that was subtle humor that I was employing in my post.
In all seriousness, I don't utilize bikepaths in my area because they can't support the speeds that I desire to ride. On the other hand, I utilized bikepaths in Colorado that were simply amazing. Again, not the best thing for a paceline of fit cyclists...but pretty fantastic for getting around without fear of getting slammed by a car.
And I agree with Cyclaholic, they shouldn't improve access to the path until they deal with the congestion that's already there.
I disagree. As far as I see it connectivity is a bigger plus than ease of use: I can easily adjust my commute times to make a well connected path less crowded. I cannot however adjust anything to make a disconnected path more connected.
The bike path is like any roadway. Adjust your commute times around the traffic on it. Just like there are certain times during the day I wouldn't use High street (in C-bus) there are certain times I don't use the Olentangy MUP. The fact is that during my morning commute 6-9 AM I only see two types of path users: bicycle commuters and serious runners both are moving at a good clip (relatively speaking) and stay to the right of the path. In the evenings I find waiting until well into supper time (6:30--8 PM) gives me a path with a small number of walkers, and no runners or bicyclists.
Goose poop is everywhere on the Ashwilticook trail in the berkshires, and it makes a goosey strip up your back if you don't have a fender or a solid rack above your rear wheel! :)
roughstuff
A "goosey strip" is from riding over too many geese. What you have is properly referred to as a sh*tty strip, also a big problem here in Reno.
Denny Koll & EnigManiac...that was subtle humor that I was employing in my post.
In all seriousness, I don't utilize bikepaths in my area because they can't support the speeds that I desire to ride. On the other hand, I utilized bikepaths in Colorado that were simply amazing. Again, not the best thing for a paceline of fit cyclists...but pretty fantastic for getting around without fear of getting slammed by a car.
OK....now you're talkin'
HUH? Am i reading correctly? Let me snip and snap as I have done before, and put the foo on the other shoot:
Would the cyclists ride in a car lane and then object to cars in the car lane? The logical solution is to tell these folks that they are on a roadyway and should not only respect automobile traffic, but yield to it as well. Or maybe stay off it.
"Lets's you and him support mutiple use facilities. As for me, get out of the way!"
roughstuff
Huh? Am I reading you right? I'll snip and snap too (LOL) and help take your feet out of your mouth (no offence, friend). This is a bike Forum, an advocacy and safety sub-forum at that, where most members are well aware of the bicyclists right to the ROAD. A roadway does not deny cyclists access to it. In other words, there are no such things as car lanes.
The only car-exclusive lanes I know of are on free-ways and expressways---that's why I pointed them out specifically and excluded cyclists from them---otherwise, all surface routes, unless especially designated are not car-only lanes, but vehicle lanes. Remember, bikes are entitled to 99.9% of surface routes.
the bike paths and SeaWall paths in my area are USELESS for cyclists. Too many stumbly bumbly peds, weeble wobble wobbler toddlers, ignorant walkers that use the bike lane, fruitbooters that weave side to side 20 feet each way as they glide on their rollerblades. Its even worse on the weekends. I stick to busy main roads, i get to where i'm going much faster when riding as fast as the transport trucks or traffic. The bike streets (designated bike routes) are slow, off the main roads and take forever to get anywhere. I can get from vancouver to Surrey in less than 50 minutes on one the busiest streets in the area, yet i takes me over 2 hours if i follow the bike route.
...fruitbooters that weave side to side 20 feet each way as they glide on their rollerblades. Its even worse on the weekends.
Fruitbooters? :D
yes, the rollerbladers are HEAVILY scorned and ridiculed here. :D mostly by the diehard cyclists, mountain bikers and longboarders. If you saw some of the rollerbladers outfits (one piece spandex with the underwear on the outside :eek: ), or the guys wearing short shorts, you'd understand the scorn and ridicule they get :D :D :D (and the nickname)
However, a couple of days ago my wife and I were riding on it and saw a bunch of pedestrians on the other side taking up the whole left lane (which is fine, its not like they were taking the whole path) and some 'serious' looking biker dude came flying from behind them and yelled 'MOVE!' very loudly and rudely. Now, all he had to do was cross the middle line (and also to be honest, if you are flying at 25+MPH on the bike path during its busiest time you need to get on the damn road. I am a roadie and I can't stand roadies who use the bike path as their own personal space to do interval training (its the same way I feel about drivers who feel that they own the road).
I see this way too often. Look, if you're riding on a Multi-Use Path, you have to expect multiple uses. If you can't/won't cope with that, find another place to ride.
I ride on the road, and I ride on MUPs. On roads, I go as fast as I can. On MUPs, I go as fast as conditions permit. Sometimes that means slowing down to a walking pace, or even stopping to chat. Here, you can get ticketed for recklessness on the MUPs, and I think that's right.
It shames me to see cyclists exhibiting the same behavior to pedestrians and rollerbladers that we decry in "cagers". It shames me that pedestrians and rollerbladers are surprised when I'm polite, civil and respectful of their right to be there.
Huh? Am I reading you right? I'll snip and snap too (LOL) and help take your feet out of your mouth (no offence, friend). This is a bike Forum, an advocacy and safety sub-forum at that, where most members are well aware of the bicyclists right to the ROAD. A roadway does not deny cyclists access to it. In other words, there are no such things as car lanes.
The only car-exclusive lanes I know of are on free-ways and expressways---that's why I pointed them out specifically and excluded cyclists from them---otherwise, all surface routes, unless especially designated are not car-only lanes, but vehicle lanes. Remember, bikes are entitled to 99.9% of surface routes.
Yes, indeed I did notice you mentioned free-ways (I love folks who keep the dash in it, it has a British feel to it), and was wondering if you meant that to be exclusive. I will only counter that a 'bike path' does not deny pedestrians access to it. It seems hypocritical to me for cyclists to carp about other users..especially other users being 'too slow and getting in the way.'
roughstuff
Yes, indeed I did notice you mentioned free-ways (I love folks who keep the dash in it, it has a British feel to it), and was wondering if you meant that to be exclusive. I will only counter that a 'bike path' does not deny pedestrians access to it. It seems hypocritical to me for cyclists to carp about other users..especially other users being 'too slow and getting in the way.'
roughstuff
If cyclists were on car-only roadways, motorists would have every right to carp. But pedestrians *****ing about bikes on a bike path is well...just plain silly. They could always walk on the grass.
From the article:
"Similarly, inline skaters complain: "The bikers have this supremacy about them," said Peter Roy as he slid on a pair of roller blades. "They're pushing 30-35 miles per hour. They hit us, we're toast."
"
30 to 35 miles per hour? On a crowded bike path? Who are these guys - Olympic hopefuls in training?
From the article:
"Similarly, inline skaters complain: "The bikers have this supremacy about them," said Peter Roy as he slid on a pair of roller blades. "They're pushing 30-35 miles per hour. They hit us, we're toast."
"
30 to 35 miles per hour? On a crowded bike path? Who are these guys - Olympic hopefuls in training?
Nobody is doing 35 on a mup. Not possible. Clear exageration.
There was a similar complaint in an article in the Washington Post a few days ago in the weekend section (I looked, but their search function is horrible). The writer complained of how dangerous mups have become with cyclist doing 35mph on them. Right. Maybe the guys running Paris-Roubaix could do this, but that's about it. The editor noted that in the past couple of years there have been more deaths on that particular path than in the preeceding 35 years. ...a whopping 3 fatalities. Sounds like a national crisis. /sarcasm
When I see a rollerblader not using headphones and using 1/2 the width like everyone else, then, they'll get some credence, in my book.
yes, the rollerbladers are HEAVILY scorned and ridiculed here. :D mostly by the diehard cyclists, mountain bikers and longboarders. If you saw some of the rollerbladers outfits (one piece spandex with the underwear on the outside :eek: ), or the guys wearing short shorts, you'd understand the scorn and ridicule they get :D :D :D (and the nickname)
I am a speed skater and I wear regular clothes with the underwear usually on the inside. Most of these "rollerbladers" are folks that aren't very skilled on 8/10 wheels and on top of that they think they own the paths. When I skate with someone we take turns drafting just like we would on bikes.
The Friends of Forester will love this article. Note: The Boston Globe typically does not leave stuff posted on-line for very long, so read fast.
The link to the article (http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/07/01/rage_on_the_bikeway/)
This does indeed highlight some of the problems, but basically it boils down to lack of common sense, civil decency, and courtesy. The same reasons people get into fistfights over parking spaces, or who has too many items in the Fast-checkout line at the grocery store.
When I use the Minuteman, it's very early on weekday mornings, and I never have any of the problems mentioned in the article.
It appears that the good people of Boston, some of them anyway, have applied their driving philosphy to other means of transport. :p
For what it may be worth: I made a prediction about six years ago. I predicted that in a few years time, we would see fewer and fewer "bladers", and a lot of pairs of used rollerblades for sale at yard sales.
Well, the first part of my prediction would seem to coming true. I am noticing far fewer bladers than I used to.
Since the 70's Memorial Drive (State managed road, along the Charles River, in Cambridge MA) has been closed on sundays, from the Fresh pond Parkway to Western Ave. This was done originally as a nod to the ecology and bicycle movement, very big at the time. It's very nice to be able to ride right down Memorial drive in silence, with only other cyclists around. As far as I know, there is no plan to discontinue this practice. It is done from spring to mid fall, I think.
Up until a few years ago, the entire place was so packed with bladers, you could barely ride at all. A slalom course of sorts was set up right in the middle of the road, at the Western Ave end. The more experienced bladers were invited to show their stuff. There was also some kind of volunteer rollerblade safety patrol, skating around. (Identified by their T-shirts).
Starting two years ago, I first noticed fewer and fewer bladers. No sign of the safety patrol, and no Slalom course. I have not been to any yard sales lately, but I'll take a guess that you can used rollerblades on E-bay. Am I right?
Has anyone else noticed a decrease in the number of bladers?
On a positive note, there are some very attractive ladies on rollerblades. :D No reason not to slow down and enjoy.
For what it may be worth: I made a prediction about six years ago. I predicted that in a few years time, we would see fewer and fewer "bladers", and a lot of pairs of used rollerblades for sale at yard sales.
Well, the first part of my prediction would seem to coming true. I am noticing far fewer bladers than I used to.
Since the 70's Memorial Drive (State managed road, along the Charles River, in Cambridge MA) has been closed on sundays, from the Fresh pond Parkway to Western Ave. This was done originally as a nod to the ecology and bicycle movement, very big at the time. It's very nice to be able to ride right down Memorial drive in silence, with only other cyclists around. As far as I know, there is no plan to discontinue this practice. It is done from spring to mid fall, I think.
Up until a few years ago, the entire place was so packed with bladers, you could barely ride at all. A slalom course of sorts was set up right in the middle of the road, at the Western Ave end. The more experienced bladers were invited to show their stuff. There was also some kind of volunteer rollerblade safety patrol, skating around. (Identified by their T-shirts).
Starting two years ago, I first noticed fewer and fewer bladers. No sign of the safety patrol, and no Slalom course. I have not been to any yard sales lately, but I'll take a guess that you can used rollerblades on E-bay. Am I right?
Has anyone else noticed a decrease in the number of bladers?
On a positive note, there are some very attractive ladies on rollerblades. :D No reason not to slow down and enjoy.
Maybe. The thrift stores are sure full of neon lace-up blades. That is for sure and you don't see much retail space being dedicated to roller blades.
Sorry to see the fad go, if that is what is happening. Roller blading is fun. I toured many cities on roller blades both in the USA and overseas. I toured Germany, Italy, England, Brazil, Japan, Taiwan, Korea, China, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and others on roller blades. Just as bicycling, roller blading gives you a unique way to see a lot of the sights. Man, I put on the miles.
It is a lot easier to put roller blades into a suitcase than it is a bicycle.
Interesting. I can understand youthful excess on skates and bikes leading to some problems. I'm surprised that more mature riders would find surprising or odd that MUPs would be dangerous at speed during high-use times. I don't really expect folks to know anything any more. In our little town nearby I find that most people on the wimpy MUP walk on the right, leave room, etc. Every once and a while there's a family not caring about what they're up too. I've talked to a few about the danger their kids are in when they roll around randomly. I'll coach the kids, too. Such as "Please move one way or another" to a kid stopped scared on my side and surrounded by others. From someone track standing a tandem this probably has a certain urgency!
I can't see a solution as long as MUPs attract lots of people. Being polite and demonstrating good road skills can't help but give non-riders a glimpse of freedom on two wheels. Being a jerk doesn't do much good.
On the GW Parkway path last year I noticed a surprising level of good behavior. This was originally supposed to be a bike path. I remember it going in and used to commute on it - one of the very few at that point. I expected it to be a death trap, but it was actually quite pleasant, even on a weekend, and we made very good time overall.
On the other hand, I was nearly killed on the GW path years ago by a drunk cyclist. Hit me head on at night. He wasn't lit up at all. Folded up a Metcalfe frame and my last wood-filled tubular rim set. Put a nice crack in the back of my skull, too, and helped me lose a surprising amount of blood!
I suspect the optimum solution would be bike-only ways for commuting. Or no walking hours during heavy bike use times. Or some other solution requiring enforcement. Not likely. And then the threads would be about bike-on-bike nonsense!
Starting two years ago, I first noticed fewer and fewer bladers. No sign of the safety patrol, and no Slalom course. I have not been to any yard sales lately, but I'll take a guess that you can used rollerblades on E-bay. Am I right?
Has anyone else noticed a decrease in the number of bladers?
Just the general slow collapse of all fitness oriented recreation in the US. Includes cycling, too (can't find the cite at the moment, unfortunately.) Commuting is up, but that's because of gas prices. Spending on non-utilitarian cycling is declining. Americans are increasingly too fat and unfit to get on a pair of roller blades.
Just the general slow collapse of all fitness oriented recreation in the US. Includes cycling, too (can't find the cite at the moment, unfortunately.) Commuting is up, but that's because of gas prices. Spending on non-utilitarian cycling is declining. Americans are increasingly too fat and unfit to get on a pair of roller blades.
Interesting to hear someone say that fitness oriented recreation is down. I run a martial arts class. My classes have had declining enrollment as has been the case with nearly all the other instructors I know. I was wondering if it was just a decline in interest in martial arts in general.
What is going on at the health clubs these days?
Multi-use paths just don't seem to work for cycling. However, the road brings with it it's own set of issues. Ride either at your own risk. :D
... Brad
Multi-use paths just don't seem to work for cycling. However, the road brings with it it's own set of issues. Ride either at your own risk. :D
... Brad
No kidding ;)
http://www.adn.com/ips_rich_content/725-Bear3-400-x-242.JPG
I disagree. As far as I see it connectivity is a bigger plus than ease of use: I can easily adjust my commute times to make a well connected path less crowded. I cannot however adjust anything to make a disconnected path more connected.
The bike path is like any roadway. Adjust your commute times around the traffic on it. Just like there are certain times during the day I wouldn't use High street (in C-bus) there are certain times I don't use the Olentangy MUP. The fact is that during my morning commute 6-9 AM I only see two types of path users: bicycle commuters and serious runners both are moving at a good clip (relatively speaking) and stay to the right of the path. In the evenings I find waiting until well into supper time (6:30--8 PM) gives me a path with a small number of walkers, and no runners or bicyclists.
I agree with you about the Olentangy path, but not about path use in general. On nice spring, summer and fall afternoons I avoid the Olentangy path, but other than that, it's just fine during commuting hours. I never use the part of the path north of campus on nice weekends. Too many idiots.
I initially supported the new bridge to it, but then someone pointed out how overcrowded that part of the path already gets on nice days. That changed my mind. Even though I think the bridge was a mistake, it's not the end of the world.
The reason problems with the path are not that big of a deal is that I can (and usually do) use the streets to get to work when I'm in a hurry. My real concern is that the city will build bike lanes on my street route, and (as they've told me they will when and if they stripe lanes) engineer the lanes to be safe only up to 15 mph. Then you've cut fast riders off the path and the street. Where will we ride then?
. . . Here, you can get ticketed for recklessness on the MUPs, and I think that's right. . . .
Your avatar says you are from central Ohio, but at least under City of Columbus (http://municipalcodes.lexisnexis.com/codes/columbus/_DATA/TITLE21/Chapter_2173_BICYCLES_AND_MOTO.html#2) and state law (http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/4511.52), you can't get ticketed on the bike path. For traffic laws to apply, a path must be exclusively reserved for bicycles, and Columbus has no paths exclusively reserved for bicycles:
The provisions of this Traffic Code that are applicable to bicycles apply whenever a bicycle is operated upon any street or highway or upon any path set aside for the exclusive use of bicycles. . . .
Sections 4511.01 to 4511.78, 4511.99, and 4513.01 to 4513.37 of the Revised Code that are applicable to bicycles apply whenever a bicycle is operated upon any highway or upon any path set aside for the exclusive use of bicycles.
What law do you think gives cops the right to ticket cyclists on an MUP?
I am a speed skater and I wear regular clothes with the underwear usually on the inside. Most of these "rollerbladers" are folks that aren't very skilled on 8/10 wheels and on top of that they think they own the paths. When I skate with someone we take turns drafting just like we would on bikes.
thank you! i have major respect for speed skaters. Your bang on with your description too of rollerbladers!
No kidding ;)
http://www.adn.com/ips_rich_content/725-Bear3-400-x-242.JPG
mmmm spring bear. Fire up the stew pot:)
Previous -
Top -
Next
Copyright 1999 - 2007
BikeForums.Net - All rights reserved.
Common bike forum topics in clue bicycles, cycling, mountain biking,
cycling jerseys, shorts, socks, shoes and bike equiptment selection.