The MUPs in DC are way too crowded on weekends and some evenings during the week (except in the winter). I stay off them on weekends completely.

Many peds seem incapable of comprehending that they need to move to the edge of the MUP and make room for bike traffic. They seem to think that because they are on foot, that they can "take the path." I'm sure that bikes are also to blame in many instances for failing to signal or passing too closely.

I think the only solution is to create separate bike and ped paths, but the likelihood of that happening is close to zero.