[MackMudPig]

@eminva 2545 wrote:

I acknowledge that signs posted on the trail state, “Closed After Dark”, and if so, I assume that means for pedestrians as well as bicyclists. So if we are all going to be scofflaws busting curfew, best we do it as safely as possible.

Having be a cyclist now for 30 years I can quickly acknowledge that cyclist tend to ride way to fast on the W&OD trail. The reality is that pedestrians and cyclists are on the trail after dark, perhaps that’s a sign for cyclists to just slow down. I saw one of Brett’s post from last week, “Sorry if I ran anyone over on the W&OD this week… [a story]” Sounds like a common tale on the W&OD trail by people like Brett, too fast and probably little regard for others. I can’t take someone serious about telling pedestrians to be more careful when they aren’t careful.

[MackMudPig]

I was a little amazed that some righteous cyclist thought that pedestrians should be wearing reflective vests because they have almost hit people on the W&OD trail. Cyclists do not have the right of way on the path, often I see riders think they are the king of the trail, probably this caller was some delusional king of cycling. But per Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority who runs the W&OD, “Unless otherwise posted, pedestrians have the right of way. Travel at speeds that are safe and appropriate to trail conditions and usage.” AND “The trail is open only during daylight hours.” So the cyclist who called in really should think about those facts. The trail is technically closed after dark and that they must yield to pedestrians.

The W&OD really is a great resource but it amazes me how cyclists in particular abuse it. I use it as a great way to get from point A to point B riding fairly slow and respect walkers/runners. When I want to ride hard I wait until the path is vacant or I’m off on the roads. My biggest annoyance is the shear number of riders who blow thru all the stop signs, I think I’m one of the only riders who actually stops at all of them. And from what I’ve seen drivers are extremely polite about stopping to let you cross when you stop.

[Author]

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