Riverfront Trail is a citizen supported community resource. Chris Zukin of Meadow Outdoor has stepped up to help Riverfront Trail fundraising efforts with this handsome billboard.
Riverfront Trail is a citizen supported community resource. Chris Zukin of Meadow Outdoor has stepped up to help Riverfront Trail fundraising efforts with this handsome billboard.
As spring weather approaches and more trail users frequent the Riverfront Trail it is time to review some reasonable trail etiquette. Because it is a mixed use trail, the first rule of etiquette is to be safe, polite and gracious. There is plenty of room for all of us: walkers, joggers, runners, cyclists, e-bikers, skaters, dog walkers and bird watchers, etc.
Some concerns that have been expressed to me recently involve cyclists and e-bikers approaching pedestrian trail users too fast and without audible warning, especially when from behind. Cyclists and e-bikers approaching pedestrians on the trail are required to slow down and, especially from behind, make their presence known by announcing their intentions (usually calling out, “On your left”, or “Passing on your left”, or better yet, “Good morning! Passing on your left.” Same goes for in-line skaters and runners overtaking pedestrians.
Keep in mind that many people on the trail are wearing ear buds, so make yourself heard. The sudden presence of a fast moving cyclist can be very unsettling and the involuntary movement of surprised pedestrians can be hard to predict so slow down and give fair warning of your approach.
All trail users who wish to stop and talk must step off or to the side of the trail and leave the maximum space for the safe passage of others.
Another rule to keep in mind: All pets must be on leash. No matter how well behaved your dog may be, its behavior in encounters with strangers (and strange dogs or wildlife) can be unpredictable. A recent encounter between two pet owners with opposite opinions about leashing resulted in an arrest due to the aggressive behavior of the owner of the unleashed dog.
Riverfront Trail is a treasured community resource and in the coming season it will offer a multitude of benefits for users to share. During this last week my morning walks and rides have afforded me encounters with many nesting pairs of Canada geese, some very busy ground squirrels, flocks of young American Robins, and the first hint of wildflower season. The flush of green grass among the rocky landscape west of Taylor Lake had me imagining I was in the Scottish Highlands — until I came over a rise and the glistening blue Columbia spread out before me.
Do yourself a favor: take a morning walk on Riverfront Trail and watch the earth coming alive. See you on the Trail.
“Manners are a sensitive awareness of the feelings of others. If you have that awareness, you have good manners, no matter what fork you use.”
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