Is this the new normal for our trails?

[DrP]

Where did all the people come from?
I have been riding on the trails on Sunday mornings at 6:30 or 7am in summers for several years – 6:30am when it plans to be a scorcher. The trails were generally empty until 10am. Last Sunday and today, at 6:30am trails and roads were full of cyclists and pedestrians. Lots of cycling groups of 8 riders or more. And so many cyclists making bad passes – one apologized for miscalculating (I understand this and appreciate the apology), one gave a finger when a startled shout (no cursing) was given for nearly running us off the trail and another gave a dirty look for the same thing, but there were more. So, what can we do about bad passes? Some were dangerous.

Are the crowds this large because no one is going on vacation? COVID has gotten more people exercising outside? More people have decided to change their habits and use the trails? It is great that there are so many people exercising, but how do we get more or wider trails to handle them all?
(roads were full of cars today too – why were so many out at 6:30am on a Sunday? Roads have not been as good as an option for exercise as it was three months ago when people were still being reasonable drivers. Now they seem to be going faster and ignore all, especially traffic signs and signals – one driver paused to let people cross at Old Reston Ave and W&OD but continued despite the red light (it was still a walk signal too!)).

Topic

[huskerdont]

@mstone 202011 wrote:

Even the best trails in the region have issues. Take the W&OD near route 9, where at the best of times it’s ridiculously narrow, squeezed in, with bad sight lines, and now has weeds covering literally one entire lane on a blind turn. If only we could find a little money to improve the trail. Completely unrelated: the new roundabouts & such were part of a $28 million project to add a lane to route 7 for about 2 miles. That’s about the same as NVRPA’s annual budget, which mostly goes into the water parks, etc.; the W&OD’s share averages about $1M/year operating & capital. Ironically the W&OD actually makes about $750k/year from utility easements and similar sources and pays for itself more than any non-toll-road in the region.

Tangentially related perhaps, but I’ve found a really nice alternative to the W&OD through there up to the point where the trail runs along Route 9 near the traffic circle. I’m sure some others know it, but if not: eastbound on the trail at Hamilton, right on 704 to the immediate left on Irene Road/706. Right on Meadowlark, then right on Simpson. Those two parallel Route 7 all the way to 9. I’ve done this a bunch of times and rarely encounter more than a car or two. I’ve also only ever seen one other cyclist, so let’s keep this to ourselves. /s

[Author]

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