Advocacy & Safety - Crowds find peril in their path

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As more cyclists, skaters and pedestrians share the area's public trails, accidents have grown, forcing officials to find ways to reduce the risks

By Lisa Black
Tribune staff reporter
Published July 21, 2004

Reine Brigham flew over her handlebars after swerving to avoid another bicyclist earlier this month on the Prairie Path in Batavia. The accident resulted in an ambulance trip to a Kane County hospital and treatment for bruises.

Brigham, whose helmet was battered in the wreck, said she plans to steer clear of the trails on summer weekends, when they are jammed with cyclists, skaters, joggers and walkers.

"Before anybody gets on a bike they should know a few things," said Brigham, 55, of Batavia, who said she crashed when the other rider veered into her lane. "Just like when you get a license for a car, people should get a license to ride a bike."

Across the city and suburbs, park officials said they are alarmed that the number of collisions, nasty spills and close calls are rising along with increased traffic on public trails. Although no one tracks how many injuries occur, and many incidents go unreported, anecdotal evidence suggests the problem is widespread, officials said.

Two recent deaths underscore the potential hazards.

Janna Tomczyk, 55, died June 20 after receiving head injuries when her bicycle hit another bike in a head-on collision on Chicago's Lakefront Trail in the 2800 block of North Lake Shore Drive. The other cyclist, a 20-year-old man, tried to swerve out of the way, Chicago police said.

On the same day, Gerald Lawrence, 47, of Tinley Park, died while in-line skating without a helmet on a bicycle trail at Yankee Woods Forest Preserve in Oak Forest. Officials believe he was trying to stop and fell backward, fracturing his skull and breaking his neck.

"Clearly, now is the season when the numbers are increasing," said Dr. Rick Gimbel, an emergency room physician with Evanston Northwestern Healthcare. "I think in general you've got a larger population and more people out there biking. Most commonly it's going to be a cyclist versus a pedestrian or a cyclist and a car."

Many trail users, through ignorance or indifference, fail to show common courtesy, often with dangerous results, officials said. And when clashes occur, bikers, runners and skaters often blame each other, said David Patt, chief executive officer of the Chicago Area Runners Association.

The growing awareness of such incidents has prompted forest preserve officials in Cook County to devote more attention to easing the pathway perils--trying everything from widening and marking trails to encouraging helmet use and studying how to improve maps and signs.

"The whole idea is to bring some order into a trail system that has grown and matured and expanded," said Gregg Goslin, commissioner for the Cook County Forest Preserve District, which oversees more than 300 miles of trails.

In September, Goslin plans to resurrect a trail-users committee that has met only sporadically. Representatives from cycling and running groups will be asked to suggest ways to improve the trails.

Common safety complaints include cyclists who fail to shout, "On your left," when they pass slower traffic; skaters and walkers who wear headphones or use cell phones and can't hear warnings; and people who don't leash their dogs or fail to wear a helmet.

When collisions occur, "It's like a domino effect. The Lakefront Trail is more dangerous to ride than the streets," said Eve Jennings, program manager with Mayor Richard Daley's Bicycling Ambassadors, an educational outreach group.

"The biggest issue is people not respecting other trail users' space, when they get out there just thinking of it as their place and their time to do what they want to do."

North Side resident Victoria Bondi knows well the dangers of the crowded Lakefront Trail, as she undergoes physical therapy from injuries she said she received in a crash on the trail nearly three years ago.

Bondi, 27, said she braked hard to avoid a cyclist barreling toward her around a curve. Sailing over her handlebars, she slammed into a concrete median. Bondi, who wasn't wearing a helmet, said she fractured six ribs and had a concussion.

"There's everything from people to dogs out there, and one little wrong turn can cause an accident," said Bondi, who only recently started riding again. "It's like driving. People don't look around."

The Chicago Park District has been rebuilding the 18-mile Lakefront Trail so that it's 20 feet wide, with yellow and white lines separating northbound and southbound traffic. On each side of the path, three feet will be dedicated for pedestrians.

In the suburban forest preserves, administrators have relied on simple regulations--some posted on signs--to govern the trails.

But the rules can be confusing and vary from place to place, as evidenced by Cook County Forest Preserves' instruction that walkers remain on the left side of the path, so they can see oncoming traffic.

In most other counties, trail users are directed to stay on the right, so that faster traffic can pass on the left.

"They're wrong, totally wrong," Patt said of Cook County's rule. "The only time [pedestrians] should be on the left is on the street, so you can make eye contact with the motorists."

Some forest preserves post speed limits, such as in Busse Woods near Elk Grove Village, where an 8 m.p.h. limit is in effect. In Lake County, forest preserve rules require only that people adhere to a "reasonable speed."

Tom Sidor of Schaumburg, manager of the speed skaters club Team Rainbo, finds the Busse Woods speed limit ridiculous, saying it's downright difficult to travel that slow. "You have runners that run faster than an 8-mile pace," he said.

So the skate club members typically ignore the rule and zip along at 14 to 20 m.p.h., taking care to shout warnings to slower traffic, he said.

Those who try to obey the rules find some hazards unavoidable.

Rosemarie Cerwin, 56, of Lombard was skating in August 2002 along the left side of a trail at Busse Woods, trying to avoid cracked pavement. When she saw two cyclists rapidly approaching her, she tried to glide to the right to get out of their way. One skate caught in the jagged blacktop, causing her to crash onto the pavement, she said.

Cerwin wound up with six stitches from a gash under her eye and a broken tooth.

"I don't know what else I could have done," said Cerwin, who skates less frequently now, and more slowly. "I just don't feel good. I lost all my confidence."

Copyright © 2004, Chicago Tribune

To aviod collisions, I find the best thing to do is to stop quickly and safely as possible, and not to swerve.

This is what happens when you force cyclist off the street and onto multi use trails! :mad:
Bicycles where built to be ridden on the roads, skates for the skating rink, and foot paths for walking and jogging.

I pretty much avoid the trails here unless it's 3am. I can figure out what a car is doing a lot easier than a dog or 3 year old.

What I really hate are the rollerbladers with headphones - you keep shouting "EXCUSE ME - ON YOUR LEFT!!!!" untill you're hoarse, but end up having to get on the grass to pass them....

I was biking the Lakefront path yesterday (tuesday=weekday) at 10 a.m. and I had a couple thoughts. That path is so heavily used it should have some extra limitations ... 1) no pets. period. they stray and the leashes reach between owner and pet and create serious hazards; and 2) nothing should be done two abreast. No walking, jogging, biking or roller blading side by side. At least not from May 1 to Oct 1. travelled from the north end to North Ave beach (and back). The only hazardous conditions I experienced were side by side space hogs and one dog on a very extended leash. There is plenty of room for 3 abreast on the entire path (except roller bladers who swing side to side and take the entire lane) ... so even passing on a curve can accomodate one surprise person. I thought visibility for curves was good, though, and I only had to wait once behind people I wanted to pass. That was because of two oncoming bicycles--one was passing.

I can't figure how any slow-moving bikes or pedestrians want to be on that path. There are so many alternative paths snaking through the parks (at least north of Belmont) ... why don't they saunter and walk their dogs and teach their kids to bike over there? That would leave the path for the N-S expressway that it is.

I rode the Lakefront Park quite often in college(Loyola), and don't recall it being all that trecherous. That was several years ago, though.

8 mph is just stupid. The MTB may be stable at those speeds, but the road bike would be twitchy at best.

I can't figure how any slow-moving bikes or pedestrians want to be on that path. There are so many alternative paths snaking through the parks (at least north of Belmont) ... why don't they saunter and walk their dogs and teach their kids to bike over there? That would leave the path for the N-S expressway that it is.

Isn't that what most motorists say about bikes on the road?


Sverre

This is why I ride on the streets. Cagers are more prone to follow a given set of rules in their cars than when [doing activity X] on a path.

I rode on a path once this summer. I don't plan to repeat the experience, since every ignorant person in the world seemed to converge on the path at that time, so I dodged two MTB's on the wrong side of the line, four dogs, and innumerable pedestrians walking 4 abreast at 2mph.

This is what happens when you force cyclist off the street and onto multi use trails! :mad:
Bicycles where built to be ridden on the roads, skates for the skating rink, and foot paths for walking and jogging.

There are very rarely any situations in which a cyclist is actually forced off the road. About the only one I know of is the Tasman Bridge in Hobart, and even there, there are alternatives.

If you find that a path is not up to standard, just use the road. Simple as that.

The more idiotic comment is the licensing for bikes that the person mentions.

Isn't that what most motorists say about bikes on the road?


Sverre

EXACTLY! Our local newspaper, talk radio and letters to the editor hada field day pointing out that cyclists, who have waged an endless war of complaints about how cars, trucks and buses refuse to share the road, now can't understand how bladers, strollers, walkers, pets, and lovers might want their share of paths as well. If cyclists can ride side by side or in a big peloton, why shouldn't others be able to do the same thing?

Can't say I didn't see it coming. While there are legitimate complaints that cyclists have with traffic (no, we are not traffic!, from what I see, hear and read the main source of the problem is there is a war between cyclists who think they own the road and vehicles who think they own the road. Like I said another forum, natural selection will take care of the former, but it is a slow process.

I don't use our bike path much. I greatly prefer country roads with nice shoulders.

roughstuff

EXACTLY! Our local newspaper, talk radio and letters to the editor hada field day pointing out that cyclists, who have waged an endless war of complaints about how cars, trucks and buses refuse to share the road, now can't understand how bladers, strollers, walkers, pets, and lovers might want their share of paths as well. If cyclists can ride side by side or in a big peloton, why shouldn't others be able to do the same thing? Maybe because bicycles are vehicles? Maybe because the same laws apply?

Bicycling is a form of transportation. So is car driving. Bicycling has more in common with car driving than with pushing a stroller, weaving back and forth on rollerblades while wearing headphones (which would be illegal while using a vehicle), walking a dog, etc. Okay, for "recreational cyclists", multi-use paths may be fine. But there's a vast difference between sharing the road and sharing a recreational space.

This, of course, is where Minneapolis got it right. They have pedestrian paths for pedestrians (which, legally, includes dog-walkers, rollerbladers, etc.), bike paths for bikes, and roads.

This, of course, is where Minneapolis got it right. They have pedestrian paths for pedestrians (which, legally, includes dog-walkers, rollerbladers, etc.), bike paths for bikes, and roads.

Neat. When I moved to Huntsville, AL as a pre-tean (when I was riding a lot) my mom told me there were bike routes/lanes. I even saw the brown signs as we turned onto the last main street before the subdivision (located on the side of a very steep "hill"). I looked for them and couldn't figure out where they were. I asked mom and she said maybe it was the sidewalk--they seemed very narrow. All I said was that those were sidewalks. I wasn't a good enough rider to use the road--mostly rec riding--so unless I had to I used the sidewalk.

God. I don't get on the lakefront bike path if it's after 5am, period. It's too dangerous, and it's not worth it. I'd rather take the streets and head up to Skokie Sculpture Park and get to Green Bay Road from there. It's easier to fight cars than to fight people with strollers, people with dogs, people with kids, rollerbladers gliding up and down the middle of the path with no regards to the people who share it, etc. I get up at 3:35am every morning that I ride and hit the path by 3:55am. I pass up only 2 cyclists headed north, none headed south, and when I turn back, there are a few stragglers starting out.

Weekends, I never take the path at all. It's all streets from there, due to the cow herds of weekend warriers training for that stupid marathon in October. They get up earlier and earlier the closer it gets to the race. :rolleyes: Then they take up the whole path, disregarding the new portions of it that are widened specifically for runners and run like a bunch of cows down the middle. Dumb, dumb, dumb.

*sigh* It's like Chris said, if you don't like the paths, ride the streets. The paths in Chicago have become so ridiculous in the past 2 years or so that more cyclists should consider riding the streets instead.

Koffee

EXACTLY! Our local newspaper, talk radio and letters to the editor hada field day pointing out that cyclists, who have waged an endless war of complaints about how cars, trucks and buses refuse to share the road, now can't understand how bladers, strollers, walkers, pets, and lovers might want their share of paths as well. If cyclists can ride side by side or in a big peloton, why shouldn't others be able to do the same thing?

roughstuff

Well, the thing is these things are called Bike Paths. But on any "Bike Path" I have seen pedestrians, runners, rollerbladers, dogs, small children, and people holding seminars all seem to have the right of way over cyclists.

It is my experience that motorists often fly into a rage when seeing a cyclist on THEIR ROAD. Cyclists seem to be able to use Bike Paths but only when they yield to everyone else. So the conclusion is that cyclists get priority no where.

Isn't that what most motorists say about bikes on the road?


Sverre

I think you are right there. And I think that riding a bike at 10-25 mph on a road that is designed for car traffic 25 to 35 mph is fine. And I don't think riding a bike at 10-15 mph o n a road that is designed for 40 to 50 mph traffic is such a good idea -- especially if there isn't a wide right hand area. I think traffic moving 2 and 3 times the speed of the slowest participant is fine. It is multiples higher than that that gets a little dicey for everyone. If 2 mph strollers are allowed then I understand the 8 mph speed limit. If it is a bike path I would say the intended speed is 10-20 mph (faster roadies are probably in the street in my experience). Then going 5 mph or less isn't too safe, nor would 30 mph be too safe. Roller bladers and joggers make it fine and are fine to pass in normal fashion. Slower is a hazard ... and I'd say the same for a 15 mph bike in 50 mph car traffic w/ only a bike width to pass.

I think this whole discussion needs to be had in relation to speed ... just like roads are designed for a safe range of speed. So should various paths. Slow-moving tractors and such are seen as a hazard on an expressway. Sometimes allowed, but with special signs and colorful decorations, etc. It's not such a simple situation to define the proper usage anywhere.

Have a nice ride today!

Bicycling is a form of transportation. So is car driving. Bicycling has more in common with car driving than with pushing a stroller, weaving back and forth on rollerblades while wearing headphones (which would be illegal while using a vehicle), walking a dog, etc.

Nope. Bicycling has nothing in common with car driving. The driver is enclosed within a vehicle that has numerous restraint and safety features. Her vehicle is equipped with voluntary and involuntary signaling mechanisms that indicate when turns, stops, brakes, and stalls occur. Bikes have none of these features. If the driver sat on top of the roof of his car, there might begin to be a resemblence.

If bikes have any resemblence to any gasoline powered vehicle, it is a motorcycle. Even there the resemblance is limited, except that motorcycle gangs complain constantly about cars and trucks just like cyclists do.

On the other hand, I see much merit to your comment: bikes for the road/bike paths; walkers/bladers and wussy riders like myself on 'bike' paths with prams and strollers; and sidewalks for walkers, etc. My initial observation stands, though: after carping for decades about 'share the road' now all of a sudden we have turned into tarmac segregationists. Local media have a field day with the hypocrisy.

roughstuff

Well, the thing is these things are called Bike Paths. But on any "Bike Path" I have seen pedestrians, runners.., small children, and people holding seminars all seem to have the right of way over cyclists.



Notice that I have chopped a few things off your list. But to me, runners, walkers, small children, people holding 'seminars' are all the same thing: pedestrians. And to me pedestrians have the right of way anytime, anywhere. On our 'bike' path we have many people who stop to rest; to listen to birds or gaze at them thru field glasses, or any of a hundred other reasons. Do these reasons take priority over my candy-assed contention that I should be able to proceed? You bet they do.

I often will whistle or sound a bell if there are folks walking in front of me. But this is a courtesy (my my my that word again....) I extend to those pedestrians to let them know I am coming and don't shock the sh*t out of 'em as I slip by on the left. They very often return the courtesy by moving to the right. Pretty simple, isn't it?

roughstuff

But to me, runners, walkers, small children, people holding 'seminars' are all the same thing: pedestrians. And to me pedestrians have the right of way anytime, anywhere. On our 'bike' path we have many people who stop to rest; to listen to birds or gaze at them thru field glasses, or any of a hundred other reasons. Do these reasons take priority over my candy-assed contention that I should be able to proceed? You bet they do.

I often will whistle or sound a bell if there are folks walking in front of me. But this is a courtesy (my my my that word again....) I extend to those pedestrians to let them know I am coming and don't shock the sh*t out of 'em as I slip by on the left. They very often return the courtesy by moving to the right. Pretty simple, isn't it?


Amen! I go very slow when pedestrians are around. I'm never in a hurry when I'm on my bike. That doesn't mean I don't ride fast when conditions allow. I think it's great when there are people outside enjoying themselves, walking, skating, biking, whatever. At least they're not driving.

Sverre

Amen! I go very slow when pedestrians are around. I'm never in a hurry when I'm on my bike. That doesn't mean I don't ride fast when conditions allow. I think it's great when there are people outside enjoying themselves, walking, skating, biking, whatever. At least they're not driving.

Sverre

And of course the thing is, some people ARE in a hurry when they are on their bike. They wanna get to work, they wanna do this, they wanna do that, they wanna hurry up and take their damn recreation ride they spent all day in a crappy job to earn. Just like drivers of cars. Same mentality, different vehicle.

roughstuff

Brigham, whose helmet was battered in the wreck, said she plans to steer clear of the trails on summer weekends, when they are jammed with cyclists, skaters, joggers and walkers.

She belongs on the road to begin with, not a footpath.



Just like when you get a license for a car, people should get a license to ride a bike

I don't think a slip of paper giving you permission to operate a bicycle solves anything. States have not done such a great job of licensing drivers that I would trust them to do much better with cyclists.



Across the city and suburbs, park officials said they are alarmed that the number of collisions, nasty spills and close calls are rising along with increased traffic on public trails. Although no one tracks how many injuries occur, and many incidents go unreported, anecdotal evidence suggests the problem is widespread, officials said.

Two recent deaths underscore the potential hazards.

This is poor journalism. If no one keeps track of "the problem" the "officials" have no idea what they are talking about.

The folks that actually do keep track of these numbers say you are far less likely to be killed on a bike than in a car.

Officialdom seems to be more concerned with two deaths on the footpath than the thousands of auto related deaths on the roads. This makes no sense whatsoever.



The Chicago Park District has been rebuilding the 18-mile Lakefront Trail so that it's 20 feet wide, with yellow and white lines separating northbound and southbound traffic. On each side of the path, three feet will be dedicated for pedestrians.

These will be ignored by pedestrians and cyclists alike. Just like the existing rules and common courtesies.



"I don't know what else I could have done," said Cerwin, who skates less frequently now, and more slowly. "I just don't feel good. I lost all my confidence."

Perhaps you shouldn't skate at speed on a crowded footpath.

The fact is that these paths are pedestrian. If you are moving much faster than a walking speed, no matter if you are on a bike, rollerblades, or running. You will encounter problems and accidents will occur. If you are mixing with pedestrians on a path the safest thing to do is behave like a pedestrian.

If you are on bike and want to move faster than a walking speed, get on a road.

Dan

I pretty much avoid the trails here unless it's 3am. I can figure out what a car is doing a lot easier than a dog or 3 year old.

What I really hate are the rollerbladers with headphones - you keep shouting "EXCUSE ME - ON YOUR LEFT!!!!" untill you're hoarse, but end up having to get on the grass to pass them....

Hear, hear - the trails around the lakes and along the river are a nightmare. I do, however, like the Cedar Lake trail heading out to Hopkins, but then that trail is mostly separate for bikes and peds (I'm including roller bladers as peds).

It's really an issue of too many people (and their cars, bikes, donkey carts and elephants) We're seeing the bike path version of a crowded street in rush hour. Ever see a pic of someone riding a bike in a Chinese city? At least the rails-to-trails ten miles outside of town aren't crowded yet.

A "multi-use" path is like a busy residential street with no sidewalk, large shoulder or bike lane - it's a pain for everyone when different modes share it. In some cases a bike path is purely urban and recreational - essentially a sidewalk minus the street - designed for sauntering and loitering. It may not actually go anywhere. Other paths are too long to really walk anywhere on or are used mainly by people on bikes or skates to go to some far destination. When these overlap there is conflict. But since we are lucky usually to even have paved paths in most places it is probably not likely that most towns with budget issues will paint lines on them or widen them anytime soon.

Ideally, like a busy road, a path should have two painted lanes in each direction with clear signage and rules: dogs must stay in owner's lane, headphones make user liable for accident, slow traffic in right lane, etc. Eventually in this dream world we will have eight lane paths with on and off ramps. It will be like a mini-L.A.! Or we could just take over the roads...

Realistically, I think the biggest improvement would be painted lane lines in the busiest area to at least pretend to keep things organized, possibly with "stay right" signs. I have learned that there are grants out there for everything if you (or the advocacy orgnization you are going to form after you read this) are committed and really want it. Writing grants and organizing are things everyone can do and there are resources to help. Make the simple painting of lines YOUR project. I'm putting a school garden together right now at an finacially strapped elementary because someone took the time to write a grant. Start doing this NOW and you'll be too busy gloating about your new altruisic (sic) self and all you have accomplished to complain.

Clay

Nope. Bicycling has nothing in common with car driving. The driver is enclosed within a vehicle that has numerous restraint and safety features. Her vehicle is equipped with voluntary and involuntary signaling mechanisms that indicate when turns, stops, brakes, and stalls occur.

All of which are completely useless if not used when needed, and downright dangerous if used when not needed (particularly drivers who signal when they have no intention of turning). However, that issue is totally irrelevant to the "traffic" argument. One becomes traffic when commuting to work, school, whatever, regardless of the vehicle they use.



Bikes have none of these features. If the driver sat on top of the roof of his car, there might begin to be a resemblence.

Actually, no, because cars would still have the same problems they have now, such as being incredibly slow and cumbersome in even moderate traffic, and a pathetically inefficient turning circle.

If bikes have any resemblence to any gasoline powered vehicle, it is a motorcycle. Even there the resemblance is limited, except that motorcycle gangs complain constantly about cars and trucks just like cyclists do.


My initial observation stands, though: after carping for decades about 'share the road' now all of a sudden we have turned into tarmac segregationists. Local media have a field day with the hypocrisy.

Not really. The sharing ideal still stands. The issue is still the behaviour of those who refuse to share, be they pedestrians, cyclists or drivers. If I behaved on the roads the way most people around here behave on bikepaths, I would have been killed years ago. Again, I have no problem sharing the roads with cars, I just want to see the laws that govern this relationship enforced. However, you're unlikely to read that in the local media, because it doesn't sell any newspapers.

Hear, hear - the trails around the lakes and along the river are a nightmare. I do, however, like the Cedar Lake trail heading out to Hopkins, but then that trail is mostly separate for bikes and peds (I'm including roller bladers as peds).

Too bad the rollerbladers don't consider themselves peds, and take up a lot of the lane. I like the Cedar Lake trail too, but usually use it as a loop that heads back down the Greenway for a longer ride after work. I've yet to use it for further trips... The people I see on the way are 9-5ers going the opposite direction (yet another benefit of third shift - less traffic for the commute both ways).

I think it should be pretty much mandatory that multi-use trails have painted lines. I'm just not sure where to put the rollerbladers... They move a lot faster than the peds, but not as fast as bikes. They take up probably a 4' wide swath of the trail because of the motion required... The problem is that they are just as likely as joggers to have headphones on and not hear you. But (most) joggers stay in one line, as do (most) bikers wearing headphones. I really hate having to try to move around them - there's been way more than on occasion that I just hit the grass or the oncoming lane to do it...

Hear, hear - the trails around the lakes and along the river are a nightmare. I do, however, like the Cedar Lake trail heading out to Hopkins, but then that trail is mostly separate for bikes and peds (I'm including roller bladers as peds).

YIKES!!! we have a BALROG on our board!!! :)

roughstuff

I remember when the IPP was strictly used by cyclists. There were a couple of spots where people who had houses that adjacent to the path would cut across it and when the trail wound its way through parks there would be some ped traffic but for the most part, the traffic was pretty much solely bicycles. When they turn bike paths into MUPs, things get dicey. Around where I live, the Burke-Gilman used to be just a bike path but has been reclassified into a MUP. Now they have signs telling cyclists not to use it and to use the roads instead.

http://www.neebu.net/~khuon/albums/20040619-poker_ride/PICT0021.jpg

Khuon, sounds like there's a lot of acceptance for cyclists over in your neck of the woods (I'm sure there is, since it's Seattle and all!), and there is an understanding that something needs to be done with the increase in all types of traffic on the "bike paths'. There have been a few occasions where I've thought that as much as I love Chicago, I might be better off living someplace else. I just can't see myself starting over again unless I move to Europe, though, so it's out of the question right now! It would be nice if there was a place to go where there was acceptance and encouragement for faster cyclists to ride the streets, and the city traffic was such that it wouldn't take as long to get out of the urban sprawl. Sometimes, I just have very little enthusiasm for cycling in these parts. :(

Koffee

I pretty much avoid the trails here unless it's 3am. I can figure out what a car is doing a lot easier than a dog or 3 year old.

What I really hate are the rollerbladers with headphones - you keep shouting "EXCUSE ME - ON YOUR LEFT!!!!" untill you're hoarse, but end up having to get on the grass to pass them....

Its fun to scare them when you pass, going all balls to the wall cyclocross style on your road bike and doing a dramatic bunnyhop back onto the pavement right in front of them. I've seen a few bladers take their earphones out after I do that :D

Its fun to scare them when you pass, going all balls to the wall cyclocross style on your road bike and doing a dramatic bunnyhop back onto the pavement right in front of them. I've seen a few bladers take their earphones out after I do that :DYeah, and the drivers who lean on their horn, speed by you with inches to spare, and nearly knock you over with their sideview mirror think cyclists reactions are pretty entertaining too! Or did you forget to use ?

Or did you forget to use ?

Nope... I can't STAND people who blade with headphones, or cyclists or peds either for that matter. I don't care if its a solo ride on the road but when you are on a crowded path and your freaking legs take up both lanes and I'm sitting behind someone going 8mph on blades while my throat is bleeding from yelling "ON YOUR LEFT" to deaf ears I like to make sure they know I was behind them.

...It would be nice if there was a place to go where there was acceptance and encouragement for faster cyclists to ride the streets, and the city traffic was such that it wouldn't take as long to get out of the urban sprawl...

You're welcome to come to Madison! :D

It would be nice if there was a place to go where there was acceptance and encouragement for faster cyclists to ride the streets, and the city traffic was such that it wouldn't take as long to get out of the urban sprawl.

Try Highway 101 in Solana Beach, where the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition successfully fought for retention of the (on-street) Class II bike lanes when the new "Rail Trail" multiuse path was designed. Some of the ped/blade/pram crowd had requested a wider rail tral park, which would have been feasible only if the bike lanes had been deleted, but transportation cyclists responded that we would not give up a prime stretch of fast, safe, effective Class II bikelane without a serious legal challenge. I believe the trail will improve conditions for transportation and other serious cyclists by absorbing some of the casual cyclists and, I hope, all of the joggers (myself included).

Some of the ped/blade/pram crowd had requested a wider rail tral park, which would have been feasible only if the bike lanes had been deleted...
If it weren't for groups like the San Diego Bicycle Coalition, who knows where we'd be riding our bikes.

It's truly sad when cyclists have to compete with pedestrians, joggers and roller-bladers for legal transportational access that motorists take for granted.

As long as cyclists are grouped together with joggers, skaters and dog-walkers, instead of with motorists as a serious form of transportation, we cyclists will be fighting for the scraps that fall from the table, while motorists continue to get the best that modern technology has to offer.

It is my experience that motorists often fly into a rage when seeing a cyclist on THEIR ROAD. Cyclists seem to be able to use Bike Paths but only when they yield to everyone else. So the conclusion is that cyclists get priority no where.

That's what being a minority is all about.

bkr

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Reine Brigham flew over her handlebars after swerving to avoid another bicyclist earlier this month on the Prairie Path in Batavia. The accident resulted in an ambulance trip to a Kane County hospital and treatment for bruises.

Janna Tomczyk, 55, died June 20 after receiving head injuries when her bicycle hit another bike in a head-on collision on Chicago's Lakefront Trail in the 2800 block of North Lake Shore Drive.

...Gerald Lawrence, 47, of Tinley Park, died while in-line skating without a helmet on a bicycle trail at Yankee Woods Forest Preserve in Oak Forest. Officials believe he was trying to stop and fell backward, fracturing his skull and breaking his neck.

Bondi, 27, said she braked hard to avoid a cyclist barreling toward her around a curve. Sailing over her handlebars, she slammed into a concrete median. Bondi, who wasn't wearing a helmet, said she fractured six ribs and had a concussion.

...the rules can be confusing and vary from place to place...

Rosemarie Cerwin, 56, of Lombard was skating...wound up with six stitches from a gash under her eye and a broken tooth.

"I don't know what else I could have done," said Cerwin, who skates less frequently now, and more slowly. "I just don't feel good. I lost all my confidence."
Bill Cosby once did a comedy piece about how parents are secretly trying to kill their kids on dangerous city playgrounds. It's not funny anymore.