To quote Yanira Kilgore’s letter (“Dangerous bicyclists need to learn to share the path”) in the Sept. 12 issue, “…everyone uses this path.” Gee, I don’t know why bicyclists would feel they have to explain that it’s a bike path. Meanwhile, they’re moving, so it’s going to be quick. They’re bicycling, remember? I’ve done that, assuming people don’t know.
I’ve always blamed inadequate signage. But Kilgore knows it’s a bike path, and still finds a way to blame the bicyclist for doing something crazy like trying to bike on it. What an outrageous idea!
Since pedestrians have the right of way, it shouldn’t be a problem to push a double stroller in the street, by her logic. So why reserve such venom for bicyclists?
How many places in Boston can you name that don’t have streets going to them? How many streets can you think of that don’t have at least one sidewalk? Infrastructure for cars and pedestrians is everywhere. Now, how about bikes? There’s around 80 miles for bikes in the whole city. Most of that is bike lanes painted on the streets. Separate bike paths are rare and treasured.
Countless times when biking on the path, I’ve been obstructed by strollers, dogs crisscrossing on leashes, people oblivious to being on a bike path. Some people walk and jog down the middle, headphones on, or let their kids and dogs run around. They walk strollers side by side or walk in a bunch.
Pedestrians routinely stay out of the streets. If they are crossing or walking there, they are respectful of cars using the street for its intended purpose. Extend the same courtesy. Be aware of bikes for which the path is intended.
Bicycling depends on balance and effort, more than just moving your foot from one pedal to another. You can tell by the ease with which our taxpaying, stroller-pushing U.S. resident can contemplate seriously injuring and probably killing her JP neighbors. It’s essential that bicyclists have a clear path for their and everyone’s safety.
Kilgore needs a time out. Maybe a nap would help. Then maybe she wouldn’t feel she has to trumpet her violent hostility to the whole neighborhood.
Claire E. Humphrey
Jamaica Plain
View Comments (2)
Well said and an important point:
"Infrastructure for cars and pedestrians is everywhere. Now, how about bikes? There’s around 80 miles for bikes in the whole city. Most of that is bike lanes painted on the streets. Separate bike paths are rare and treasured."
I have to agree with you. I used these paths both as a bicyclist and pedestrian walking my dog. As a bicyclist, it's striking how clueless people are that they are on a bike path, or even more generously, a multi-use path. I'm thrilled to see so many people getting around on bikes and not cars, but worry about an accident because of this. I know it's scary when your walking and bike swooshes by, but there are definitely things one can do as pedestrian to be safer than taking up the whole path, or not being mindful that you are sharing the path.
I think people will get used to, eventually, but that this can be helped along with some steps. Better signage would certainly be helpful, and more markings on the ground.
One thing I've seen in different parts of the county which I found really helpful is having bikes on the right of the path and pedestrians on the left. This is actually the law in some states for roads with no sidewalk. Think about it: if I as the pedestrian am walking on the left of the road, and cars and bikes are coming on the right, there is no way they will ever sneak up on me, nor I on them. We would always be looking at each other. When the bikes approach, the pedestrians move a little further to their left, off the path, and the bikes a little to their left, towards the center of the path, and they move past each other safely, waving friendlily at each other, rather than creating bad vibes and generating impulses of running somebody down with their car.
It would go a long way for making these paths safer if Massachusetts or Boston, or DCR made this the rule- since consistency results in familiarity and thus a more reliable system. I have the habit of doing this, walking on the left, and people who are walking on the right look at me like I'm crazy. Crazy like a fox, say I!
So Gazette staff, forward my letter to the right people- the bike Czar, or DCR. I find this system so simple and so obviously safer that I'm sure that if it became the way we used our multi-use paths we could all get along better and would reduce the chances of these kinds of accidents!
Jaime