Quote:
Originally Posted by pauld315
The problem is that there is no clear direction provided for bicyclists. They should either make bicyclists ride on the streets or on the MMP's but not both.
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Large groups of cyclists riding on the MMPs would be bad for both cyclists and carts. Large numbers of single riders on the roads would be bad for both cyclists and cars. The dual use system in place now works fine when people have consideration for all trail and road users, be they cyclists or cart drivers.
As a cyclist riding the MMPs daily for the 8 months I've lived in The Villages, I've only had one scary encounter when a cart coming towards me swerved into my lane about 30 feet in front of me and then swerved back over to its proper lane just before I was ready to swerve off into the grass along the trail (luckily that would have been possible where the incident occurred). There have been a few other occurrences where a cart passed uncomfortably close to my bike, but all went well. I wouldn't want to change MMP use because of that.
I ride to the right of the trail when a cart is behind me. In the split lanes that are too narrow for carts to pass a cyclist, I will swerve off into the grass to let a cart pass when possible. Sometimes that is not possible, so I pedal a little faster. I often wish there weren't split sections on the MMPs. They are pretty, but do lead to slowdowns or uncomfortably close passes by carts.
A little patience is needed by both cyclists and cart drivers on the MMPs.