Originally Posted by themp

On our local Greenways/MUPs, the city has decided to paint a yellow line down the center of the Greenway so users know which side to stay on. They have done solid yellow and dash lines. I am not sure why they did the dash, maybe to save paint. The lines have helped with dog walkers and families as they see the line and know they should all be on one side. It also has helped on blind curves. However, there is a 30+ mile segment that is heavily used by groups of cyclists riding in packs. Prior to the lines when on this segment I always just stayed on the far right side next to the grass. Groups passing or on coming always moved. They usually took 3/4 of lane as I had the other 1/4.

Because of the yellow line, I decided to try and just ride in the middle of the right side of the yellow line and not move from this position. What happened is that groups of cyclists coming at me taking 3/4 of the lane, had to move to single file and they were not really happy about it. Dirty looks was usually what I got as they flew by. But, on a group of riders trying to pass me they started shouting, "on the left". When I stayed in the middle and did not move they just kept shouting "on the left" and a few ask me to move to the right please as they passed me. After a while I just gave up and moved back to the far right. So, for group riders the yellow line was basically being ignored.

Here is what they city stated on their website:

"The goal of this effort is to increase awareness of trail users traveling in opposite directions, to regulate, warn and guide users; and to increase the number of users that stay to the right, allowing other users to pass on the left. Pavement markings will primarily consist of solid or dashed centerline striping as well as markings around bollards and text markings such as “Stop Ahead”."