Bicycle Board Members,

Please find attached a zip folder that contains a draft agenda and read-aheads for this Thursday’s Bicycle Board meeting.  Please let me know if you want any changes. 

Paul may want to add some time to discuss cyclists speeding on the rail trail and not warning pedestrians when passing.  Please read the discussion that I pasted below for background.

Frank

Cyclists fare best when they act and are treated as drivers of vehicles

Discussion about cyclists speeding and improper passing on rail trail (I concealed the name of the MRTC BOD member since his message was in confidence.)

>>> "Frank Gmeindl" 03/21/10 11:23 PM >>>

Paul,

Please see below. 

Frank

Cyclists fare best when they act and are treated as drivers of vehicles

 MRTC BOD member,

When you say, “cyclists' blowing by people without any or significant enough warning”, I assume you’re talking about cyclists blowing by pedestrians on the rail trail, not cyclists blowing by motorists on the road. 

The solution is enforcement.  The rail trail has a 15 mph speed limit posted at trail entrances.  I don’t know who is responsible for enforcing rail trail rules but they’re the people to see. 

I don’t know what rules, other than those posted at the trail entrances, apply on the rail trail.  Both Morgantown code (Article 373.07 (b)) WV code (17C-11-7 (b)) require bicycles to be equipped with a bell or other device capable of giving a signal audible for a distance of at least 100 feet but these apply to cyclists on the roadway.  I don’t know if they apply to cyclists on the trail but if cyclists bicycles were properly equipped, at least they’d have the means to give warning.

Another solution was to keep slower moving traffic to the right to enable faster traffic to pass slower traffic on the left as mandated by sound traffic principles.  The Bicycle Board recommended to the Traffic Commission and the Commission approved trail striping in accordance with the 1999 AASHTO Guide for the Development of Bicycle Facilities as well as KEEP RIGHT signs.  That project got passed from the TC to the Public Works Dept. and then to BOPARC.  We all know what a fiasco resulted when striping of incorrect dimensions and patterns was applied and not even to the middle of the trail.  I do not know who did the succeeding work: blacking out the stripe and erecting confusing little signs (see attached).  They did get right the striping around the bollards though but still have not implemented the Bicycle Boards’ recommendation.  Long story short: striping a proper broken center line and erecting KEEP RIGHT signs would encourage appropriate cyclist behavior.   Perhaps the Rail Trail board would like to pick that up.  See http://www.sccrtc.org/bikes/AASHTO_1999_BikeBook.pdf for the 1999 AASHTO Guide and http://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/htm/2009/html_index.htm for the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices.

Frank D. Gmeindl

LCI #1703

Chairman, Morgantown Municipal Bicycle Board

Cyclists fare best when they act and are treated as drivers of vehicles

From: MRTC BOD Member
Sent: Friday, March 12, 2010 1:20 PM
To: Frank Gmeindl
Subject: Rail Trail

Frank,

At last nights' Rail Trail board meeting, during the public comments section, there was a citizen that raised a concern about cyclists' blowing by people without any or significant enough warning.  Anyhow, most on the board thought that this was a significant enough of an issue that it requires us to address it.

So, in order to avoid any irrational discusions of de-mounting areas, I was hoping to get some ideas to address the issue prior.  You know, in a proactive way as opposed to a reactive way.  Maybe the Bicycle Board could come up with a plan to make the high traffic areas of the Rail Trail safer? 

If you're interested in helping or have any ideas, give me a call.

Thanks,
(MRTC BOD member)

From: Paul Becker [mailto:Paul.Becker@mail.wvu.edu]
Sent: Friday, March 19, 2010 8:01 PM
To: weisswilliam@yahoo.com
Cc: fgmeindl@verizon.net
Subject: Re: Rail-Trail Safety - Keep Walkers Safe on the Rail-Trails >From Dangerous Bikers

I agree with you and have raised this issue on the bike board.   For the most part they agree as well, and understand:

1. With rights (to be in traffic on bikes) come responsibilities.   To not ride on sidewalks where it's illegal, and to bike safely around pedestrians.

2.  Politically it would be suicide for auto folks to divide bikes people and pedestrians. ... which has happened in other communities, and perhaps here.

I believe you will find agreement on the bike board, especially if there are solutions that go beyond talk. 

The problem on the rail trail is acute in the densely used downtown area.   Bikes, kids, adults, dogs, etc.   BTW, these potential collissions are scary to bikers as well, though it is likely pedestrians will suffer more than a bike in a collision.   In this area I believe we actually need to to separate the bike and pedestrian traffic.   I have raised this issue several times, been told that there is not enough room for dual lanes.   Certainly the Decker's Creek Bridge is a problem, but I believe (without and actual survey) that we could widen and separate the bike and pedestrian flows in many of the densest areas.   I understand from Don that there are other things that have been tried in other cities that enhance safety if there is a mix. 

We have found the Morgantown police totally uninterested in enforcing existing rules to control bikes.   There is a law on the books, I believe that forbids bikes from riding on sidewalks downtown.   Totally unenforced!   It may be the police believe they have bigger fish to fry, but it may be that they don't want to accept WV's law that bikes have full rights to be in roads with cars (not just on the right) and don't want to have to deal with that possibility.

I would suggest you speak to Frank Gmeindl, chair of the board (whom I'm copying) to get on the agenda.
I probably will not be at the April1, meeting.

Paul

Paul Becker, ScD.
Professor
Safety and Health Extension
Extension Service
West Virginia University

>>> Bill Weiss 03/19/10 6:13 PM >>>

Hello Paul,

I have been advised to attend an April 1st meeting of the Morgantown Bicycle Board to express my concerns regarding the safety of local Rail-Trails Walkers, and to seek redress. Since I read that you are the Board, Paul, I will address my concerns to you. I hope you will help make the Rail-Trails a safe place for folks who walk on the local Rail-Trails. 

There are at least two threats of perceived danger to Walkers on the local Rail-Trails. First are unruly  people, 

possibly  impaired, who congregate along the Rail-Trail and threaten Walkers and Bikers as they pass by. The second is the threat caused by Bikers who threaten Walkers's safety by passing them at a high rate of speed. 

The second problem, Bikers traveling at high rates of speed who often endanger Rail-Trail Walkers' safety, do not slow down sufficiently while passing  Walkers, especially when approaching Walkers from behind. Some Bikers do not announce their approach with a shout-out, by ringing their bike's bell or or by sounding their bike's horn. But even if they do announce themselves, few of the fast riding Bikers actually slow down sufficiently to ensure the Walkers' safety.

There is little doubt that life threatening situations often occur and eventually a fast moving Biker will collide with a walker and a person will be hurt, maimed or killed. But, perhaps that has happened already. I don't know. But, the likelihood of an accident will increase, as the weather improves and more people walk and ride bikes on our  local rail-trails. 

Elderly and disabled folks, children and dogs are especially at risk, since they often do not react quickly to a potential collision.

The responsibility of avoiding an accident is everyone's, but Bikers have a large responsibility for  not putting Rail-Trail Walkers at risk, since they can control the speed of their bikes and they can avoid riding into a Walker and causing harm. Few Walkers (except children and impaired folks) might intentionally walk into an oncoming bike, no matter how slow the bike is approaching them. 

On many occasions, while walking on the local Rail-Trails in the past with friends, or with my now deceased wife, we have been overtaken (from behind) by a young man riding his bike at a high rate of  speed. Sometimes a warning is given. And if a warning is given, it usually occurs just as the bike whizzes by us. Other times, no warning is given. In any case we are usually startled, scared and become angry because our safety was threatened.  We are very concerned about a collision and being harmed.

Women Bikers are generally much more careful when approaching Walkers from ahead or behind. Generally they will ride much more slowly and call out, ring their bike's bell, or toot their bike's horn, before they get close to Walkers. 

A bike approaching in front of Walkers is usually seen before it gets too close, so it is less of a problem, even if the Biker is traveling at a high rate of speed and does not announce themselves. But, they can still be a threat, due to their speed and their close proximity to the Walkers as they pass by. 

The chance of a collision is greatly increased when two or more high speed Bikers approach Walkers, and each other, in front and behind of the Walkers, and both pass the walkers at a close proximity at the same time. 

Bikers who insist on passing Walkers at high rates of speed must be banned from the Rail-Trails and advised to ride their bikes with the coal and gas well water trucks on Dents Run or on the Interstates or the US highways where they will will not be a threat to pedestrians and other users.

Several safety solutions come to mind: 1) ban young male Bikers who are apprehended who violate the law by riding their bikes in a manner threatening to Walkers; and who apparently suffer from hyper active testosterone glands and very immature minds; 2) widen the rail-trails to create an adequate Walkers path; with a concrete wall divider to separate Bikers and Walkers; or 3) require all Bikers to slow down to almost the same rate of speed as the Walkers speed, announce themselves and pass the Walkers with great care.

The current rail-trail culture must be changed from a "walker beware" attitude, to a "biker be responsible" culture; to ensure safety of each and every Rail-Trail user. Both Bikers and Walkers need to be better educated on how to safely share the Rail-Trails with others - Bikers an Walkers..

It is apparent that the the police must patrol the Rail-Trail to apprehend people who violate the law; including Bikers, Walkers and others who  behave in a dangerous and  threatening manner - putting others' safety at risk.

What do you say? do you agree with me, Paul? Will you help make the Rail-Trails a  safer place for everyone's benefit?.

Thanks.

Bill