I never ride on MUP for this very reason. Especially if I want to go more than leisurely pace.

Heck, even on road, it's still dangerous. I look both ways before crossing intersection with light in my favour. Too many people have been killed by red-light runners.

Yep, I put these brake-light bulbs on my ST1300.
https://www.amazon.com/Alla-Lighting.../dp/B07F9MV3Z8

Simple enough to wire light with one onto your handlebars aiming forward. Push button and it flashes 3x before going steady. Would certainly attract attention... IF people are actually looking up from their phones...

Had a couple today ahead of me on a MUP with very few people, As I approached from behind, the woman pulls off to a driveway to the right, and the gentleman, hung a U turn about 30’ in front of me, without looking. If I had been going faster, it could have become ugly real fast.

On a positive note, on the same trail, during my return trip, I exchanged pulls with another guy which is something I haven’t done for a few years when I did club cycling.

No MUP riding for me . Great paths , inconsiderate people. Dog walkers with extended leashes, strollers walking three abreast , folks with ear buds , parents teaching kids how to roller skate , and the worst…..electric motor toys , bikes , and scooters that are wired to go very fast , 15-20mph. Some folks on electric motor bikes don’t need pedals , they are not bicycles , they are motor bikes and are capable of pretty high speeds.

I'm not sure while others feel obliged to make bold negative statements about MUPs. Do they really believe all MUPs are the same?

They are not all the same. The ones around here are most of the time , especially in residential neighborhoods . I have had a good ride on them but not often enough to warrant using them .

Our local MUP is not that convenient for casual users/dog walkers (don't recall ever seeing one, actually). In my commuting days, everyone was going the same direction so not much opportunity for conflicts, though not hearing someone ripping it from behind could lead to trouble. Though most commuters are riding in pretty much a speed band.

Main problem was the lunch hour jogging crew. Best to avoid that. In general, any time I see more than one rider or ped I assume the worst and ride accordingly. Now I mostly ride it after lunch until about the evening commute (again going in the commute direction) and for the most part I am the only one on it, so I am doing it at workout speed. Mopeds are illegal on the path, but I do see one from time to time and found they have (so far) always been courteous. E-bikes, though, watch out.

scott s.
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I was riding on a school driveway heading to the main road, parallel to that driveway was another driveway. A police cruiser was headed in the same direction, I was waving my arm both to say hello and for him to stop. I reached the main road before him, I turned left onto a sidewalk going in front of his vehicle, at the same time I'm still waving. Windows were dark so I couldn't make eye contact, I thought sure with all my arm waving he saw me. Evidently not because just after I cleared his bumper he started going, he never saw me and never looked right before driving (it was a split road no traffic would be coming from the right). No harm done but it was too close for comfort, I know he had a surprised look on his face, probably eye opening for him.

Your experience reinforced why it’s never appropriate to ride opposite the flow of traffic, whether on the road or sidewalk. Drivers entering a roadway always look left, and few right. Thanks for the safety lesson.