Sun 5 Dec 2010
Day Old, Same Old
Posted by Will under biking
[10] Comments
The long-unofficial extension to the LA River Bikeway south of Fletcher Avenue hasn’t been opened officially for even a day and already that old pedestrian call for cyclists to respect pedestrians has been brought up by the Corralitas Red Car Property blog:
Cyclists complain about cars whizzing past them too closely at high speeds on City streets. Show pedestrians the same respect you want from car drivers.
I have no argument with the issue of consideration, and I’m sorry for the negative encounters experienced. But I do get tired of the debate always being compartmentalized and into an us-versus-them box. Be it motorists, cyclists or pedestrians there always seems to be a holier-than-thou attitude in brusquely demanding that other groups behave. Each segment will often rail without deigning to acknowledge the fact that we all manage to not get along. Inconsideration and entitlement is not solely owned by one segment.
Just as the Red Car Property blogger tells us that “every time” she’s walked the river, she’s been “surprised by bikes coming from behind at very high speeds,” there are motorists who will insist that every cyclist rides rudely and unsafely, and there are cyclists adamant that all pedestrians walk around like they own everything within a moveable 10-foot radius.
With such generalizations it’s a wonder anyone gets anywhere unscathed or at least unfrustrated.
I for one practice safe and considerate cycling wherever I am, be it on a mountain trail, off-street bikeway or on a bike-unfriendly boulevard. On any waterway path, I dont’ ride like a 6’2″ 220-pound bat outta hell unless the asphalt ahead is free and clear, and when approaching anyone from behind it’s always at a respectful speed and with my bell ringing to alert them of my arrival. Passing is done as widely around them as I can.
On occasion, I am forced to compromise my access and enjoyment by navigating past pedestrians who walk down the centerline with or without a dog untethered or on some incredibly long extend-o-leash. Adding to the risk is the fact that their hearing is impaired from those individuals wearing headphones or talking on cellphones, preventing them from being alerted by my bell or my voice.
But did you notice what I said there? I used “on occasion,” and “individuals,” meaning exactly that. It would be easy to self-righteously exaggerate, but disingenuous. The fact is the vast majority of peds I pass are passed uneventfully. We cooperate in not being an impediment to the other’s enjoyment.
Red Car’s core argument is sound: share and be safe. But it applies to everyone all the time, and that’s no exaggeration.
10 Responses to “ Day Old, Same Old ”
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[...] of how pedestrians and bicyclists can or can’t share the new Elysian Valley River Path at [sic] and Corralitas Red Car [...]
After all, it is a bike path.
I’ve never had any (real) problem with skaters on the bike path at the beach, or joggers along the Arroyo. Most other folk are usually polite, courteous, sensible.
But on occasion, as it appears to be the bicyclists cross to bear, the oddball or dog-walker (pick it up!) who doesn’t recognize they are treading along a BIKE PATH (clearly marked!) has cognitive failure.
If people want to get stoned (Debs park has more than it’s share of tokers, thankfully most stay in their cars) or otherwise maintain a blissful unawareness of their surroundings and occupy valuable meatspace, is it too much to ask they don’t get rude or insulting or righteously indignant if I come up “out of nowheres [sic]” while riding my bike on the bike path? I did ring my Bell/shout (didn’t mean to startle ya ;^).
They are out there, and I if I want to get my fill of their antics I’ll tune in Maury, Springer, or one of the multitude of teevee ‘courts.’
As for that nude guy bathing in the Arroyo one morning, I hope you realize that wasn’t mountain spring water, and thus not everything is free.
As someone who walks/bikes the Elysian Valley river path (which is what the City should have called it), I’ve seen lack of roadway courtesy from both cyclists and walkers, but mostly from cyclists.
Elysian Valley is a multi-ethnic, multi-generational neighborhood and there is a large number of elderly and small child walkers on this path, which they have been using for many years. In addition, many of these walkers do not speak English, which creates some communciation challenges.
In response to your commment ‘unless the asphalt is free and clear ahead,’ a special challenge to the Elysian Valley path is that there are so many entry points with steep inclines that are hard to see from the path that one can be riding along thinking the path is clear and suddenly a ped/biker will ‘appear’ from an entry point very close by.
I agree that most walkers and bikers do share, but I think there needs to be more education for all users on the courtesy of walking/riding on the right and passing on the left.
Paco, I was once under the assumption that Class I paths and lanes were for bikes only, but unless so specifically posted, pedestrians are allowed to use them.
I think the city has gone to a greater effort to stress the new river extension as a Bike/Ped path because it was already so well-used and accessible to nearby residents, as Arroyo Lover points out.
Whether there are more inconsiderate cyclists than walkers encountered out there as Arroyo Lover suggests, may be true, but playing a subjective numbers game isn’t much different than lumping one segment into a generalization. In other words, it just puts up back where we started, because I most certainly could rebut that I find more irresponsible pedestrians out there on the paths than cyclists — heck to prove that I just have to go ride the Braude Beach Bikeway for five minutes.
But to clarify my statement of riding at speed when it’s “free and clear ahead” I meant that to include a lack of access points. For example, I might haul after coming down off the Baum Bridge going north not only because it’s empty, but also because there’s a minimum of opportunities for people to enter the path from the sides.
I ride much more casually and carefully south of Fletcher in part because it’s always more crowded, there are more access points — and also because it’s so much more serene and worth savoring at a slower pace.
California law states that unless there is a parallel pedestrian walkway, a bike path is actually a “shared use path”, which can be used by all non-motorized modes. Not sure about horses, but in any case, Paco Bell’s righteousness is baseless.
so…if they are hearing impaired (for whatever reason) plus all the other options for impairment, time to break out the stun gun or the air pistol to “nudge” them that you’re behind them? warning shot to the back of the head?
yeah, I’m the one who, while trying to get people to join a leisurely walk on a path is feeling like I’m trying to herd cats to keep people out of the way of bikers and faster moving hikers.
and to quote one brother I heard walking with another a decade or so ago “Move your butt Eugene, don’t want to get your a$$ run over!”
Trish, if you’re addressing me with that first paragraph, I trustnyou’re being facetious. But if not I’d ask you to reread my post as I stressed caution is always the order of my rides when I’m on bikeways in an attempt to extrapolate that responsibility for courtesy to all users instead of one finger-pointing at another.
Whether I’m catching up to a pedestrian or cyclist I make efforts beginning a couple hundred feet back to alert via bell and voice, and if I get no reaction I slow down and pass them as widely as is practicable.
I understand your frustration because even the most yielding of pedestrians are always going to be at a disadvantage to cyclists especially those who unfortunately are inconsiderate and selfish in their habits.
Hi Will,
I too tire of the us vs them but as a pedestrian I have a hard time finding the LA River path wide enough for everyone. I’m willing to share the road, but like you say, we all have to be considerate of one another.
And by the way thanks for the Muscovy Duck ID.
Thanks for the comment Diane and glad to help with the duck ID!
It is a shame that the path couldn’t have been made wide enough to accommodate pedestrians and cyclists together. Small consolation for sure, but this one cyclist will always have your back.
LA has so few safe areas where you have zero chance of getting killed by a car. We desperately seek out such calm places, and it’s quite sad that peds and cyclists can’t get along on the river path. We should just leave the conversation at “the path should be wider”. Don’t fight over scraps, that’s pointless. Either get by with what you have, or attack the people that made the path so small in the first place.
Shared use ped/bike paths are bound to fail if they’re not well marked and wide enough to accommodate for two way bike traffic and two way foot traffic.