Safety on the Trails

[DismalScientist]

As someone who is comfortable sending my kids on the trails (on bike or on foot) alone during the day or early evening, I would have to say I think the biggest danger is getting run over by ELITE cyclists like myself.:rolleyes: There are generally enough people on the trail that I am not worried about crime. My youngest kids are in late elementary school and if they are to bike or walk home from school, I would hope they would use the W&OD and Custis trails from Westover to school near Ballston.

[jabberwocky]

I’ve never felt unsafe on the trails out west, but I gotta admit that the W&OD and 4MR trails go through some slightly sketchy areas closer in to DC. I still wouldn’t have trouble sending kids out on them though. Better the slight risk they’ll get kidnapped and murdered than have them grow up as self entitled little lumps who think its their right to get chauffeured everywhere.

Can you tell I don’t have kids?

[eminva]

I’ll confine my remarks to Arlington, in keeping with the spirit of the inquiry.

First, Arlington students are already heavy users of the trail.

I would have no hesitation sending my child out by himself on the trail network in Arlington during regular before and after school hours. He is in middle school. The few constraints I might impose would concern:

– hours — I generally am not alone on the trail very late at night and I would extend the same caution to him.

– age — Given the heavy use of the trails, there is probably some minimum age for which children should be accompanied by adults to make sure they comply with basic trail expectations (such as staying on the appropriate side of the center line, etc), for their own safety and everyone else’s.

May I suggest bike trains to elementary schools. We have them in Fairfax County, you know!

Liz

[baiskeli]

I would definitely worry about crime. We’ve had rapes and stabbings, in daylight hours, against adults, on the stretch of trail between my house and both my kids’ schools recently, not to mention the armed robberies on other trails. It’s a real threat. I wouldn’t forbid kids from going on the trail altogether, but I’d take precautions.

[consularrider]

@baiskeli 64438 wrote:

… rapes and stabbings …

Singular over two years, one at sunset when that part of the 4MRT is very shadowed, flasher issues along the W&OD around EFC and Madison Manor, more issues on the Custis close to Washington-Lee HS.

[Arlingtonrider]

@jabberwocky 64433 wrote:

I’ve never felt unsafe on the trails out west, but I gotta admit that the W&OD and 4MR trails go through some slightly sketchy areas closer in to DC. [/SIZE]

I think we all have a tendancy to think that the trails we ride less often are the sketchiest ones. I ride from Shirlington to DC daily and after dark (not super late) and feel very safe on my commute, but am much more concerned about the trails west (not because they’re necessarily unsafe, but because I don’t ride them often enough to have a good sense of what they’re like). Of course, its always good to be attentive and prudent anywhere.

[JimK]

I’ve been riding the trails in VA and DC for twenty years and have had only two encounters that threatened me: one about a mile east of RT 28 of the W&OD (a group of about ten boys blocked the trail as I approached) and the other at Smiths Switch Station. Both occurred on weekdays in the early afternoon.

[jabberwocky]

@Arlingtonrider 64443 wrote:

I think we all have a tendancy to think that the trails we ride less often are the sketchiest ones. I ride from Shirlington to DC daily and after dark (not super late) and feel very safe on my commute, but am much more concerned about the trails west. Of course, its always good to be attentive and prudent anywhere.

Could very well be. I commuted from Tysons to Reston on the W&OD for several years, often later at night, and can’t remember ever feeling threatened or sketched out in any way. I mean, its not that I’d really have an issue riding the trails closer in to DC, I’ve just always found them sketchier feeling than the stuff out west. I spent a good portion of my younger life skating in N Philly, so my tolerance for the hood is pretty high, I’ll admit.

Fairfax County has a ridiculously low crime rate. Doesn’t mean bad stuff doesn’t happen, but its probably not that likely. I think people these days get too hung up on the fringe stuff happening (because it gets a lot of attention in the news). Probably good not to let that stuff paralyze you.

[rcannon100]

As opposed to what?

It’s a data anomaly. The trails are an identifiable data set that stand out. When a dude get’s mugged for his watch on the Custis— we artificially associate that with the Custis. It is unusual in terms of the location of the place and therefore sticks out. We can identify a set of crimes we have heard about as trail crimes.

But if a dude get’s mugged for his watch on Columbia Pike, there is not the same association with a geographic feature. There is so much more crime associated with roads that it is not unusual and we dont think about it.

Is there more crime on the trails then the roads. Well… here are the crime reports. http://news.arlingtonva.us/police/crimereports I actually read the crime reports on a somewhat regular basis, going back two decades (when we were house hunting). And while whacko stuff that happens on the trails clearly jump out – there is no evidence that there is more crime on the trails as opposed not on the trails.

Is there more crime in certain locations in Arlington? Absolutely. Arlington Police use to map out the crime but they dont do it any more. Two summers ago I think it was it was dangerous to walk into a bank in Arlington

So bottom line: the data is publicly available. Challenge anyone who claims that there is crime problem on the trails. Map it out. Or subscribe to this service and have them map it out. http://spotcrime.com/va/arlington You will find no evidence that the trails are more dangerous than, for example, being two blocks away from the trails, or anywhere else.

[hoffsquared]

I’ve been riding W&OD in Arlington to Crystal City for 4 years now. The only time I felt unsafe was one day when I was exiting the trail at Glen Carlyn. I have to get off my bike and walk the hill. Some fellow was ranting and yelling all sort of obsenities at me as he was leaving the restroom area. I stopped a fellow walking his dogs and asked him to just hang w/ me while the fellow went on his way. Someone must have called this in since over the next day or two there were quite a few policemen in cars and bikes along the trail.

[cyclingfool]

@jabberwocky 64447 wrote:

…ridiculously low crime rate. Doesn’t mean bad stuff doesn’t happen, but its probably not that likely. I think people these days get too hung up on the fringe stuff happening (because it gets a lot of attention in the news). Probably good not to let that stuff paralyze you.

This. Statistically, I think it’s safe to say that the biggest threat to the safety of a cyclist on an MUP in Arlington, Alexandria, or Fairfax has four wheels, not a knife.

[TwoWheelsDC]

My biggest fear on the trails is getting a fish hook to the face while riding under US1/Potomac Ave/GWMP on the 4MRT.

[DismalScientist]

@cyclingfool 64490 wrote:

This. Statistically, I think it’s safe to say that the biggest threat to the safety of a cyclist on an MUP in Arlington, Alexandria, or Fairfax has four wheels, not a knife.

Sorry, but it has a black shirt and has either two wheels or sneakers.

[cyclingfool]

@DismalScientist 64514 wrote:

Sorry, but it has a black shirt and has either two wheels or sneakers.

Or that. But it’s not wielding a knife or a gun, nor does it have any premeditated intention to get you.

[consularrider]

@cyclingfool 64517 wrote:

Or that … nor does it have any premeditated intention to get you.

Except the bushy tailed or long ear sorts.

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