Posted by It could not have been a better day to sit in front of a large open window at a local brewery on the Empire State Trail along the Erie Canal. But as I took a heavy swig of a dark brew, I could not help but overhear the spirited conversation at the bar about bikes on the canal path.
“Bikers are the meanest people. I walk down the canal, and they whiz by me. Or even worse, the ring their stupid bell. All I hear is a bell, I don’t know where they are coming from. All I hear is ‘Ringy Dingy, Ringy Dingy.’ Why don’t they all just say ‘on the left?’ ”
There was more, but let’s just use this opportunity to discuss the relationship between trail users, general considerations and hard “do’s and don’ts.” For starters, I’m going to speak to well-traveled trails like the aforementioned Empire State trail that, in my area, runs alongside the historic Erie Canal. While this has always been a popular place to walk and bike, its use has increased considerably since Covid. Since indoor activities were risky, this multi-use trail became a haven for those looking to safely get some fresh air. In fact, bike and pedestrian traffic became so heavy that I recall witnessing multiple bike-on-bike collisions, something rarely seen elsewhere.
The Empire State Trail in Greater Rochester is used by bike commuters, recreational bike riders, sport and fitness riders, walkers, runners, scooters, skateboarders and rollerbladers.
It connects the University of Rochester and Medical Center (the city’s largest employer) with the Genesee Riverway Trail, which provides access to Downtown Rochester. It also ties together outlying “canal towns” like Spencerport and Brockport to the West, and Pittsford and Fairport to the East. Along the way, one can find restaurants, breweries, ice cream shops, and retail options. But I’m gonna go out on a pretty sturdy limb and say that most people use the trail for fitness, “walk and talks” with friends or family, and recreation.
While this is a specific trail, the following applies to any trail or path where you might encounter more than 50 people using a number of modalities in a 30-minute walk, run or bike ride (note that in my area, this number on a summer day can be as high as 200).
What Pedestrians Need To Understand
First of all, like on our streets, pedestrians are the most vulnerable trail users. Their safety, comfort and right of way should always be prioritized. But let’s start with the women’s commentary from a few paragraphs above.
It is customary for cyclist to pass pedestrians on the left and audibly shout “on your left” OR ring the bike bell as the cyclist approaches from behind. There are even signs along the Empire State Trail that encourage this. When I’m on my bike, approach a pedestrian, and ring my bell, often a pedestrian will acknowledge with a wave, which I find to be a welcomed courtesy.
While some pedestrians might be annoyed with cyclists on trail, cyclists are frequently annoyed by pedestrians who are unaware of their surroundings. For one, when I ring my bell to pass walkers and runners, more than half the time they have earbuds in and likely never hear me. In general, if you put audio devices in your ear while using the trail, that’s perfectly fine, but you are negating the chance to hear bike traffic approaching. There’s not much we cyclists can do if you disable your ability to hear us.
When I ride this trail, I often ride for an hour to two hours, and pass hundreds of walkers and runners. After a while, constantly shouting “on your left” is very annoying. Typically, I will ring my bell which takes a quick flick of my left finger. As lame as it sounds, shouting takes effort, where ringing a bell does not. This might not seem like a difference but when you have to do it 100 times, trust me, it’s different. Also, if I’m riding with others, this allows me to continue a conversation without shouting “on your left.” So for the woman at the bar, this is why many cyclists choose to use the bell. And with all due respect to the “I don’t know where they are coming from” comment, if you are hearing a bell, it’s definitely not coming from above or below you, and with it being a two-way trail, it’s also not coming from your left or right. So that leaves in front of you or behind you, and you can already see what’s coming, so that leaves… yeah.
Furthermore, cyclists often lament the person walking (again, often with earbuds) in the middle of the trail, or walking in a group and spilling out into the wrong side of the trail. At least a handful of times each ride I have to slow down because a family or friends are taking up the entire width of the path.
Dog walkers also often let their dogs and dog leash extend across the entire trail, and once again, these walker frequently wear earbuds. It forces us off the trail to give a wide enough berth.
As pedestrians, please understand that these scenarios happen a lot for cyclists. Pedestrians always have the right of way, but cyclists also have to do a lot of shouting, bell ringing, dodging, slowing and riding off-trail during a ride to avoid pedestrians that are unaware or unable to hear us coming.
What Cyclists Need To Understand
As the faster and heavier (especially with regard to e-bikes) trail users, cyclists need to remember one thing first and foremost: zooming past an unsuspecting person walking can be as jarring as a car closely passing a cyclist on the road. Even if the walker has headphones on, vocalize your intention to pass or ring your bell. Always give the maximum amount of room as you pass. And feel free to “slow your roll” a few MPH as you do so.
I’m gonna go hard on two groups of cyclists here. One is the Lance Armstrong wannabe guy with the $3,000 bike, fully kitted up, barreling down the mixed-use trail weaving around walkers, families and people in general who are moving at a leisurely pace. THIS IS NOT THE PLACE FOR YOU. If you’re riding in excess of 18MPH, and not slowing as you pass pedestrians, you are part of the problem and you’re ruining it for the rest of us. I get it, nobody wants to bike in the road if there is an alternative, but if using that alternative means making another group of people feel unsafe or startled, you’re just as bad as drivers. If you’re a “get after it” cyclist who is looking to maximize heart rate and set a new personal speed record, THESE TRAILS ARE NOT FOR YOU. STOP USING THEM.
The same goes for e-bike, e-scooter and other electric vehicle riders who ride fast with no regard for pedestrian safety and comfort. If you are riding an e-vehicle on a mixed-use trail that is heavily populated by walkers and runners, keep your speed low and match the “vibe” of the trail.
Bottom line, if speed is your thing, stay off the trail. I walk and run these trails, bike and e-bike them, and even traverse them on scooters, skateboards and Onewheels. Always my first priority is to make sure I am responsibly sharing the trail while making everyone around me feel safe and relaxed. I take pride in slowing down, ringing my bell, waving, being aware and appreciating that our trails are a resource for everyone, not just my own personal enjoyment.
Stop The 3-Wide Thing
As a responsible multi-use trail rider, this might be my biggest pet peeve. Let’s say I’m approaching a pedestrian walking toward me. I’m on the right and she is on the right, walking toward me. Behind her is another cyclist, who, at current speed, looks to pass the walker at the same time as me in the opposite direction. Instead of slowing and waiting for me to pass and THEN go around the walker, the cyclist insists on passing the pedestrian at the same time as me, creating a scenario in which there is not comfortable room to pass the pedestrian and allow me to pass as well. This is what I call the “3-Wide” scenario, in which there is not enough trail width to safely allow for 3 bodies to pass simultaneously. If you’re a cyclist and approach a pedestrian from behind, and another cyclist or pedestrian looks to pass the pedestrian at the same time as you, slow your speed, stay behind the pedestrian until the bike or walker traveling in the other direction safely passes. Trying to create a 3-Wide scenario is scary and dangerous for everyone.
E-Vehicles
More and more, our trails are seeing the use of e-bikes, e-scooters and electric skateboards. Hopefully, more traditional trail users will accept and welcome these vehicles as part of the expanded tapestry of micro-mobility.
If you’re like me and are a huge fan of these vehicles, remember that not everyone is. But the e-vehicle user has the opportunity to be an ambassador for this form of mobility. Use the same approach principles as cyclist and use your voice or your bell. And since people aren’t always familiar with seeing someone on, say, a Onewheel, give a little extra smile to those you pass, letting them know that you’re just sharing the trail with them and that you’re intention is to promote happiness!
In Conclusion
Remember that, when you’re on a mixed-use trail, similar principles and courtesies apply as they do on our roadways. The slowest, most vulnerable population should always have the right of way, but that doesn’t mean that that population doesn’t have a responsibility as well. If speed is your jam, these environments are not for you. And if nothing else, remember that these environments exist for everyone, not just for you to extract your experience to the detriment of others.