Biking on Sidewalks

[Gazelle]

It is great to see so many people biking in DC.

But for those people who silently pass me on the sidewalk when I am walking my dog, I need to let you know that to my dog, your feet going round and round on the pedals, right at her eye level, look very inviting. And since I don’t know you are behind me, I have not shortened the leash so she can’t lunge. You startle me and you startle my dog.

I’m not saying that you shouldn’t use sidewalks. The street can be dangerous. But so can passing my dog without letting me know.

Back in the old days (the 1980s), we use to say “on your right”, “on your left”, or just “passing”. I haven’t heard this once in DC.

It may sound like a courtesy (and it often is), but it also helps make your ride safer.

Thank you for understanding.

Topic

[Terpfan]

Your recollection is correct, people should be calling out passes with on your left and/or dinging a bell to indicate they are approaching. Sorry to hear they haven’t. I generally try to avoid sidewalks largely for this reason and because between Constitution and Mass Ave it’s illegal to ride on the sidewalk. I suspect you may be dealing with someone relatively new to cycling as I have noticed an uptick in folks riding along the sidewalks recently (and in areas they’re not supposed to be). I hope you say something as a gentle reminder as it’s a very good point and helpful to avoiding collisions.

[ShawnoftheDread]

@Gazelle 38382 wrote:

It is great to see so many people biking in DC.

But for those people who silently pass me on the sidewalk when I am walking my dog, I need to let you know that to my dog, your feet going round and round on the pedals, right at her eye level, look very inviting. And since I don’t know you are behind me, I have not shortened the leash so she can’t lunge. You startle me and you startle my dog.

I’m not saying that you shouldn’t use sidewalks. The street can be dangerous. But so can passing my dog without letting me know.

Back in the old days (the 1980s), we use to say “on your right”, “on your left”, or just “passing”. I haven’t heard this once in DC.

It may sound like a courtesy (and it often is), but it also helps make your ride safer.

Thank you for understanding.

I’d like your opinion as a dog walker on one aspect of this. When I’m passing you, do you think it would be better for me to call a pass or use a bell, from the perspective of how your dog is likely to react? Is one better than the other, or no difference? I don’t use sidewalks unless absolutely necessary, but this comes into play on the trails a lot.

[TwoWheelsDC]

As a dog owner, I absolutely agree…when I pass people with dogs on my bike I make sure to ding plenty early, in case the dog reacts, and I always give lots of extra space when passing. Also, when I’m walking my dog, I try to stay as far right as possible and keep the leash pretty short. Basically, all cyclists should assume a dog will try to nip/jump/chase, and all dog walkers should be prepared to deal with their dog in case it reacts suddenly. My dog is part coonhound, so it’s rare that I bring him on the trails because he follows his nose and can move very erratically. And in these days of early darkness, remember that dogs need lights too!

[PotomacCyclist]

I also slow up when I approach someone with a dog. I know that dogs can and will dart around. Until I’m sure that the person knows I’m approaching, I slow down so that I can react easily to the dog’s potential movements. I also call out a passing warning or ring a bell, but many people wear earphones these days.

[Gazelle]

Thank you all for your responses.

As to the bell vs. just calling out, I think there is a slight advantage to a bell. If I hear a bell, I will likely turn around to see how close you are and then pull over to one side or another to give you room to go by. You may get a little more room that way.

Thanks again!

[JeffC]

I always try and avoid sidewalks on my bike. There is a very small (1/2 block stretch) near my work where it is unavoidable but very rarely dog walkers since it is a commercial area. I have a herding dog that is extremely difficult to walk, he is always lunging at things. It is basically impossible to walk him on a leash, I’ve tried just around our neighborhood and it is a disaster, fortunately we have a sizeable yard for him and as he is older, his activity level is going down.

I usually use a bell but sometimes call my pass very loudly when on a MUP trail and there is a dog walker. One thing I wish that dog walkers would do on MUPs (it is not as important if on a sidewalk) is to walk the dog on your right side. That way when a biker passes on the left it is less likely that the dog get agitated since it will be farther away. I also fear retractable leashes and a dog on the right will be less likely to interfere with a cyclist. Again, I think this type of dog/pedestrian/bicyclist interaction is less likely on a sidewalk but I suppose it would not hurt to walk a dog as far to the right as possible on the sidewalk as well.

[consularrider]

@JeffC 38633 wrote:

I always try and avoid sidewalks on my bike. There is a very small (1/2 block stretch) near my work where it is unavoidable but very rarely dog walkers since it is a commercial area. …

You must work in my building. To get into our parking garage, I either have to take the steep curving offramp before Freedom Park which is going a couple blocks out of my way (unless I am coming down Clarendon Blvd) or take the sidewalk the half block from Wilson Blvd. I have yet to get a dog walker on either. Of course saying something is out of my way is no excuse since I am already riding more than double the most direct and safe route anyway.

[baiskeli]

@Gazelle 38382 wrote:

It is great to see so many people biking in DC.

But for those people who silently pass me on the sidewalk when I am walking my dog, I need to let you know that to my dog, your feet going round and round on the pedals, right at her eye level, look very inviting. And since I don’t know you are behind me, I have not shortened the leash so she can’t lunge. You startle me and you startle my dog.

I’m not saying that you shouldn’t use sidewalks. The street can be dangerous. But so can passing my dog without letting me know.

Back in the old days (the 1980s), we use to say “on your right”, “on your left”, or just “passing”. I haven’t heard this once in DC.

It may sound like a courtesy (and it often is), but it also helps make your ride safer.

Thank you for understanding.

Thanks for your courtesy as well. I remember the 1980s, when we called our passes too. I try to do it most of the time, except in a case where startling someone might be worse. That can happen on sidewalks. Sometimes pedestrians (usually tourists) hear me call a pass or use a bell and they suddenly jump to the side – sometimes right in front of me. So every once in a while, when on a sidewalk, I sneak by instead. But people with dogs usually don’t have that problem. They’re thinking about the leash, like you mentioned, not just staring at monuments.

[rpiretti]

Where do you live in DC? It’s illegal to have a bike on the sidewalk in a large part of DC.

[Author]

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