[Warren Kiefer]

I hope we can get some reasonable discussion on this posting. Here in the Villages there seems to be some conflict between walkers, bike riders and who has the right of way etc.... . My issue is with the walkers who seem to be ignorant of Florida Law or they simply don't care about the laws or their safety. Every day I am on the Villages' streets I see people walking on the right side of the street in the direction they are traveling. This is just plain dumb, first, they have no idea of the traffic approaching from behind and second, Florida Statutes state, pedrestians are required to walk on the LEFT side of the highway (the shoulder when practicable) in the direction of their travel. Anyone with half a brain should be able to determine that seeing traffic coming toward you as you walk, is so much safer that having that traffic approach you from behind.

[Challenger]

Originally Posted by Warren Kiefer

I hope we can get some reasonable discussion on this posting. Here in the Villages there seems to be some conflict between walkers, bike riders and who has the right of way etc.... . My issue is with the walkers who seem to be ignorant of Florida Law or they simply don't care about the laws or their safety. Every day I am on the Villages' streets I see people walking on the right side of the street in the direction they are traveling. This is just plain dumb, first, they have no idea of the traffic approaching from behind and second, Florida Statutes state, pedrestians are required to walk on the LEFT side of the highway (the shoulder when practicable) in the direction of their travel. Anyone with half a brain should be able to determine that seeing traffic coming toward you as you walk, is so much safer that having that traffic approach you from behind.

I believe it is also the Florida law that pedestrians are required to use sidewalks where provided and not the streets. The diamond street lanes are for wheeled vehicles but some walkers become defiant and force carts into the auto lanes. 10% never get the "word"

[graciegirl]

It don't think it is a huge problem Warren.

[ilovetv]

I would say it IS a huge problem. One of the worst places where walkers are in the streets, on the right side with their backs to the cars coming up behind them, is Baisley Trail. The people walk like this as if nothing is ever going to happen to them.

I have a friend who lives near the top of that hill (Baisley, going up), and there are more oblivious walkers there than any other residential street I've seen here. They are hazardous, because they just keep looking forward and do not care that cars have to stop behind them to wait for an oncoming car/truck to pass before we can go around the walker.....and that is IF we can SEE the walker. Many times there are parked vehicles on the street that block a car driver's view of the walker ahead of the parked car.

Also, too many walkers in the streets wear nothing that is visible. The most oblivious walkers in the right lane seem to always be wearing grey or black, and never something white much less neon green, orange or yellow.

It gives me nightmares to think of hitting one. They seem to act like cars are not supposed to use the street and it belongs to them. They put their dogs at risk in this 2-way car traffic, too. When I do my walking, I walk only where there are sidewalks or multi-modal trails and on those, I step onto the grass when an oncoming cart approaches me. But there are many instances where a cart has to stop because they can't get around the walker ahead on the right side, because there is a cart coming toward them in the oncoming lane.

[perrjojo]

Originally Posted by Warren Kiefer

I hope we can get some reasonable discussion on this posting. Here in the Villages there seems to be some conflict between walkers, bike riders and who has the right of way etc.... . My issue is with the walkers who seem to be ignorant of Florida Law or they simply don't care about the laws or their safety. Every day I am on the Villages' streets I see people walking on the right side of the street in the direction they are traveling. This is just plain dumb, first, they have no idea of the traffic approaching from behind and second, Florida Statutes state, pedrestians are required to walk on the LEFT side of the highway (the shoulder when practicable) in the direction of their travel. Anyone with half a brain should be able to determine that seeing traffic coming toward you as you walk, is so much safer that having that traffic approach you from behind.

Well yes, there are laws and common sense but there is also a thing called COMMON COURTSEY...just use it and have a nice day.

[Bogie Shooter]

I seem to remember that we learned that in grade school...........walk on left facing traffic!

[allairenjadea]

I agree with Graciegirl. It is a non problem I do not think anyone would deliberately walk in the road but sometimes you have to walk around parked trucks and end up on the wrong side of the road for a brief moment...actually that happened to us the other day and some guy walking a dog was quite rude to us.... we are just walkers and we are aware of our surrondings, to the person who mentioned Baisley Trail we are residents of that particular street and when we are walking we do not ever see more than one person at a time walking and no one is in the road...

[tpop1]

Originally Posted by ilovetv

I would say it IS a huge problem. One of the worst places where walkers are in the streets, on the right side with their backs to the cars coming up behind them, is Baisley Trail. The people walk like this as if nothing is ever going to happen to them.

I have a friend who lives near the top of that hill (Baisley, going up), and there are more oblivious walkers there than any other residential street I've seen here.

When I do my walking, I walk only where there are sidewalks or multi-modal trails and on those, I step onto the grass when an oncoming cart approaches me.

I am a walker who lives at the top of the hill you mentioned.

I for one, try to always walk facing traffic. It becomes problematic, until one gets to the sidewalks on Canal St., especially when work vehicles are parked at homes along the way.

Once on Canal St. there are few issues as I can get to almost anywhere on sidewalks or multi-modal paths.(but run like heck when I get to a tunnel)

A major problem I find is that drivers fail to recognize that the speed limit on Baisley is 15 miles per hour. Drivers regularly exceed this speed by double! They do not slow down and often don't yield space to walkers.

Makes it dangerous!!!!
_

[ilovetv]

Originally Posted by perrjojo

Well yes, there are laws and common sense but there is also a thing called COMMON COURTSEY...just use it and have a nice day.

You're right ont that, but COMMON COURTESY should also be used by the walker...

....by obeying traffic laws (walk on the left side and facing the oncoming traffic) and.....

....by making sure they are visible to vehicle drivers at all times.

If a driver accidentally hits a walker because they are not visible and walking on the wrong side, it's not a matter of common courtesy. It is an avoidable tragedy that obedience to traffic laws could have helped to prevent.

I certainly don't want to hit anyone accidentally and could not imagine living with that horror afterward. It seems like some walkers want to say "I was right and had a right to walk how I did".....on their tombstone.

[Uptown Girl]

Might not seem a huge problem to some folks, but it is wise to always be alert.

Yesterday morning, I made a right turn (in my car) from St. Charles onto Tamarind Grove Run, and immediately came upon a walker in the golf car lane...
doing push-ups.

Had I been in a golf car, I'd have run over at least half of him before having time to break. In addition, he had his back to oncoming traffic.
Startled the bejeezus out of me. Didn't faze him at all. He didn't even look up.

You just never know what will be around the corner.

[ilovetv]

Originally Posted by Uptown Girl

Might not seem a huge problem to some folks, but it is wise to always be alert.

Yesterday morning, I made a right turn (in my car) from St. Charles onto Tamarind Grove Run, and immediately came upon a walker in the golf car lane...
doing push-ups.

Had I been in a golf car, I'd have run over at least half of him before having time to break. In addition, he had his back to oncoming traffic.
Startled the bejeezus out of me. Didn't faze him at all. He didn't even look up.

You just never know what will be around the corner.

Thank you.

[Virtual Geezer]

As an almost daily walker I will admit that at times I do NOT walk facing traffic for my own safety and first hand experiences.

First some background. I will walk anywhere for 4 to 7+ miles on the days I walk and it is always on the cart path or sidewalk. I use all the tunnels with the exception of the one at Lake Miona. I will short that one because of the cart traffic.

Now there are places along the loops that I walk that it is safer to have your back facing traffic. First time I ran into a safety issue was when I had cleared the tunnel under Buena Vista near the fire station at Bonita. I was walking facing traffic and walking up the incline and a person in a cart was heading towards the tunnel. I totally surprised them and they jerked the wheel to the left to avoid me. From than on I walk out of the tunnel with my back to oncoming traffic and then move to the left facing traffic after reaching the top of the ramp.

Another place where I have surprised people are the 90 degree bends in the cart path. Examples here would be the north west corner of the Odell / Buena Vista (when I am walking north) and the north west corner of Odell / Morse (across from Havana) and again when I am walking north. And in both of these cases I will switch over to the correct lane when I have a clear view of oncoming traffic and they have a clear view of me.

VG

[Challenger]

So many times I see people doing things that may be legal but may get them killed. For pedestrians walking in the roadway when sidewalks are provided is needlessly endangering your life. What if a driver is momentarily distracted and swerves only a few feet ? You may be totally legal and dead or severely injured. Common sense and good judgement regardless of your legal standing is essential.

[tv2016]

How do other walkers find is the best way to cross roads like Buena Vista and Morse? Do you use the tunnels? Or do you walk across the road even though there is no designated place to walk across? If you walk through the tunnels, do you walk in the middle or on the left hand side?

[ilovetv]

Originally Posted by tv2016

How do other walkers find is the best way to cross roads like Buena Vista and Morse? Do you use the tunnels? Or do you walk across the road even though there is no designated place to walk across? If you walk through the tunnels, do you walk in the middle or on the left hand side?

I don't know the answer, but I think walking in a tunnel is extremely dangerous because of how cart drivers come into the darkness from bright sunshine and it takes awhile for the driver's vision to adjust. It only takes a second to hit somebody you don't know is there because it's dark in there.