Walking on Multi- Modals
 

When walking you need to walk “against” on coming traffic. You “never” walk with traffic. WHY? So you can visible see in front of you. No need for a biker to yell anything. I do when i see someone walking on the wrong side.

People walk on the left, right, and middle of multi-modal paths. My riding has to deal with reality.

From Google:

"Florida law clearly provides that a bicyclist can utilize sidewalks to ride a bicycle. It is perfectly legal to ride a bicycle on a sidewalk. When there is an available bicycle lane OR when the sidewalk is crowded with pedestrians, it may be better to ride the bicycle on the side of the roadway."

There is no 'Problem'.

1. Bikes are allowed on "sidewalks" "walking paths" nature paths" or whatever synonym you choose, in Florida. The statute has already been posted on this thread

2. Ebikes are allowed anywhere bikes are allowed unless specifically forbidden per a new law signed by our Governor in August 2020.

Your representatives have made the determination. Complain if you wish but the matter has been decided, quite recently at that.

Time to move on and complain about dog poop or lack of a Costco.

Bells not useful if you're coming up behind someone who is a) deaf or b) needs hearing aides but isn't wearing them or c) is wearing hearings aides but the battery is dead/volume turned down too low or d) wearing ear buds and listening to music on their ipod.

For me, it'd be jarring, and could possibly result in me swerving off the road and hurting myself. I get in a "zone" when I'm riding my own bike, and hearing a bell behind me would be such a sudden thing that I'd automatically turn my head and take my eye off what's in front of me.

If walkers are EVER going to stay to the left on MMPs, you will have to start a committee to pay for signs every 1/2 mile reminding ALL parties of that requirement. And your committee will have to find some way to pay for several additional policepersons to hand out LARGE dollar tickets to non-compliers. I am NOT trying to be facetious - just explaining how hard it would be to break bad habits and achieve compliance. And actually, the additional cost of police would be offset by the lower costs for emergency hospital care when these accidents happen. The quality of life would increase and the police would give seniors an increased feeling of security. Of course, I know that none of this will actually happen. It is just an example of MANY things where people complain and complain - but, will be afraid of the costs or possible tax increase. It is easy to complain but hard to organize an effort to confront and solve a problem.

There is no oncoming traffic on a walking trail and you can't see behind you when walking on one no matter what side of the trail you are on and there is a definite need for a biker coming from behind to alert walkers especially those with a dog on a leash.

😂 Can we be any more dramatic?!!

Yes! Please cyclists notify walkers in front of you that you are approaching. I have been startled countless times by riders who seem to appear so quickly and blast by me. Thank you to those that already do so. I spend most of my walk looking over my shoulder and yet I am still surprised by the speed in which the cyclists appear.

With respect after all these posts about walking facing traffic and the logic being both cyclist and walker can see each other in that mode why do you spend most of your walk looking over your shoulder. Please explain.

And there we have the problem - pointed out dramatically. Apparently, 1/2 of TV Land thinks that one method or tradition is CORRECT and another 1/2 of TV Land believes that a 2nd method or tradition is CORRECT. There is NO compromise situation here - it is EITHER method one OR method 2 !!!!!!! I have always preferred, personally, to walk facing traffic so that I can see what is coming at me. I trust myself more than a bicycle jockey ringing a bell or yelling, "move right". And I don't see well behind me. If you call that method one then the next problem is how to inform TV land that method one is the one decided on? I could suggest radio ads and newspaper ads. Also, Police giving out LARGE DOLLAR tickets would help. Signs along the sidewalk or MMP would help. But, the most important thing would be to have ALL of TV Land agree on which method everyone NEEDS to use. 1st things 1st. Failure to agree and SELL the agreed-upon method will keep resulting in injuries. Some injuries may be only small back and arm sprains from lurching at the last minute out of the way of bikes and golf carts - some could end up much worse when you consider the aging population. You would think that an aging population would be smart and more motivated to solve this problem. A problem that needs 100% agreement and buy-in to solve.

The solution would be for education for the walkers and Police on bicycles to give them large tickets. Compliance is needed to prevent INJURIES - and maybe only ticket penalties can change things at this point? A ticket penalty would be better than having an elderly walker lying down and bleeding on the MMP. Part of paying taxes is to be protected from your own stupidity. That's the principle of tickets for ANY safety violation.

There is a solution to that. There are bike mirrors for the handlebars or that attach to sunglasses or regular glasses or to a bike helmet. The motion at a distance to the rear that is seen in the mirror will automatically alert you out of that "zone" and give you TIME to react properly. The human eye is in tune with motion - it is anthropological. Sorry about the excessive "splain'n" - I get carried away.

It's All About Safety
 

1. It would be a great idea for the community to develop a set of guidelines on sharing the multi-modal paths. Signs should be posted along the MMPs advising walkers which side of the path they should stay on. It might cost a few bucks to do this but its better than someone getting seriously injured or worse. Currently, people walk on both the right and the left on the MMPs. I think walking on the left facing golf cart traffic is the safest way to go but, in any case, people walking on both sides is dangerous.

2. Cyclists should ring a bell or call out “on your left”. Walkers sometimes get distracted and unexpectedly wander away from the edge of the path. A cyclist could easily hit someone who isn’t expecting a bike coming up behind them. Yeah, some people who are hard of hearing might not hear it, but at least the majority of people will be warned. When a cyclist comes up behind me and warns me of their approach, I raise my hand so they know I heard them and say thank you when they ride by.

3. Best of all possible worlds . . . add a pedestrian lane adjacent to the MMPs.

As a bike it’s your responsibility not to run into them.
As a walker it’s your responsibility to walk at the edge of the pavement.
Also as a walker it’s your responsibility not to step out in Front of a bicycle, Golf Cart, or automobile.
I do all three and I don’t see the issue.