Friday, October 10, 2008
Greenway cohabitation
Mark Taylor
Mark Taylor's Outdoors column and notebook appears regularly in The Roanoke Times.
Recent columns
As they do several times a week, Bob and Phyllis Grant and their dog Gypsy were enjoying a walk on the Roanoke River Greenway on a pleasant recent day.
They smiled as a young girl who was just learning to ride her bike pedaled past under the watchful eye of her father.
"She was doing her little crooked driving," Phyllis Grant said.
As the tandem disappeared slowly up the paved trail the Grants were startled when another cyclist zoomed up from behind them and zipped by.
"Uh oh," they thought.
Sure enough, just up the trail they came upon the crash scene.
The bad news: One of the bikers had a broken arm, according to the Grants.
The good news: It wasn't the little girl.
The speeding rider had crashed when he swerved to avoid the weaving child.
Few would argue that the growing popularity of the Roanoke River Greenway and similar routes in the region is a bad thing.
But the popularity can cause congestion and that congestion can create problems as the Greenways' diverse users learn how to coexist.
During its busiest times, the Roanoke River Greenway can attract hundreds of people.
"I can go out on a Saturday morning, and even with my untrained eye I can count 400 people," said Donnie Underwood, Roanoke's Parks and Greenways planner.
The crowds include cyclists on everything from department store cruisers to $3,000 racing machines. Speedy runners and plodding joggers. Moms pushing strollers. Anglers walking to their favorite trout holes. Dogs zipping around on retractable leashes. Rollerbladers. And, of course, those always-unpredictable kids.
Some have a good understanding of greenways etiquette. Others have no clue.
Many users keep to the right, but many don't.
For every cyclist who rides at a casual speed and yells "On your left!" while passing, there's another who pedals hard and passes without warning.
Not that a warning or ringing bell would warn some runners who have their ears plugged with music-blasting earphones.
Monday night, as two dozen citizens got together to discuss a proposed expansion of the Roanoke River Greenway that would connect the route to the Tinker Creek Greenway, it didn't take long for safety and etiquette to come into the discussion.
Bikers drew a lot of the attention.
Many cyclists are courteous and careful said Danielle Rhine, a 35-year-old runner who lives near the Roanoke River Greenway.
"About half will say, 'Coming up on your left,'" she said. "But there are definitely some I think are speeding."
In this case, "speeding" is a subjective term.
On the signs listing "Greenway Rules," the only reference to speed is to "Always use safe speed."
The 10- by 18-inch signs along the route list other rules, too.
Some rules, such as cleaning up after pets, are backed up by city ordinances. Others, such as "keep right except to pass" and "wear a helmet" are really just suggestions.
The signs also include a 2 by 2-inch yield sign: Dog walkers yield to pedestrians and cyclists; cyclists yield to pedestrians.
Underwood said his staff is almost done with a new sign plan. The hope is to put large kiosks at main greenways entry points. The signs will address issues including etiquette and safety. Underwood said he's looking in to putting up larger yield hierarchy signs even sooner.
At Monday's meeting, some greenways users asked about the possibility of installing speed limit signs, painting dividing lines on the paved path and even adding pedestrian-only lanes next to the main path.
But heavily regulating greenways use is not the ideal solution, Underwood said.
"We don't want to be like Big Brother out there," he said.
Underwood said it's common for communities that are early in the greenways process to experience growing pains. Working things out takes time, and common sense.
One possibility for improving education and outreach on greenways is a potential collaboration with the new Roanoke Valley chapter of the National Mountain Bike Patrol, whose volunteers patrol on Mill Mountain's dirt trails.
The patrol's focus is not on enforcement, but on assistance, education and outreach.
When the pilot program was started in the spring, patrol leaders said they hoped a successful launch would lead to expanding the patrol's reach to greenways and/or Carvins Cove.
"I would love it," Underwood said of the idea of a citizens volunteer patrol becoming involved on the greenways.
Patrol leader Dick Howard said the group's current priority is to fulfill responsibilities on Mill Mountain before looking to expand.
So, for the foreseeable future, maintaining order on the Roanoke River greenway will largely remain the responsibility of its many users.
"Everybody," Underwood said, "just needs to watch out for everybody."
