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Friday, October 29, 2010
Cyclists on Katy Trail, White Rock Lake still a danger
At what point will careless pedestrians and speed demon cyclists exercise in peace?
Channel 5′s story about cyclists along the Katy Trail was an alarming reminder of the dangers of pedestrian/bike interaction. Armed with a radar gun, reporter Meredith Land clocked some cyclists going as fast as 25 miles per hour (28 at White Rock) along the Katy Trail and White Rock Lake. According to Land’s report, getting hit by a cyclist at that speed is the equivalent of being hit by an NFL linebacker (and even then, linebackers hit you at less than 25 miles per hour).
And it’s only been a few weeks since Lauren Huddleston died as a result of a pedestrian/cycle collision. And shortly after her accident, two more incidents occurred at White Rock Lake, one of which seriously injured an elderly man. Over the weekend, I got yelled at by a cyclist at White Rock Lake as I crossed the path back to my car. And I looked both ways and saw that I clearly had enough room to walk (not sprint) to the parking lot for my car. I have a bike and used to enjoy cycling along White Rock, but the rude behavior and Lance Armstrong-like intensity of some cyclists took some of the fun away. And now as a pedestrian along both trails, I’m freaked out by the cyclists in our town who constantly want more access and safer streets but who pose a danger to anyone in sneakers!
How are we supposed to all live in harmony? Should we install cameras to clock and click speeding cyclists? Can we ticket them? Or do we ban them all together? I’d hate to see our trails cycle free. I enjoyed riding my bike by the lake. But at what point will careless pedestrians (those who don’t look, who wear headphones, who have unruly dogs, or who zip by on Rollerblades) and speed demon cyclists exercise in peace?
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Pop icon Peter Max exhibits paintings at the Crescent Hotel this summer
unlisted, humbleness is a word according to a few dictionaries, but I agree that humility is better.
Pop icon Peter Max exhibits paintings at the Crescent Hotel this summer
"humbleness"??????
Um, Mr. Means (reporter), your fourth-grade English teacher is going to smack yo
lmewbourn, anonymous:
I have to comment on this article. I run the Katy trail 3 times a week. And rarely if ever does any cyclist call "passing on left" Yet they speed through those small trails as if it were the central expressway of park trails. But, like you, I also enjoy bike riding. However, bottom line is there needs to be a "division" between where the cyclists ride and where the runners/walkers go to do their thing. They can not safely "exercise" together. White Rock at least has a little room to spread out and I almost always hear "pass on left" from the cyclists that ride the trails. Unless there are alternative trails set up on Katy - I say that bicycles should be banned. Sorry - but it is just not safe.
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bobllamas, anonymous:
On all shared MUPs pedestrians (and that includes skaters) should be required to walk FACING oncoming traffic (i.e., cyclists). I think it was WC Fields that said "No one was ever killed by a bus they could see coming from a block away."
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What do you think?