welshTerrier2

Here’s a link to the article about this tragic accident: Officials to examine R.I. bike path safety after boy dies in crash - News - providencejournal.com - Providence, RI

To view the intersection of the road and the MUP in RideWithGPS, search for “Poppasquash Rd and East Bay Bike Path, Bristol, RI”

Here are a couple of pictures that show the road that crosses the bike path where the accident happened.
Eastbound (bike path left to right):


Westbound (bike path left to right):



The article states that RI DOT will be examining what enhancements can be made to the bike path to make it safer.

Questions …

Is the signage adequate at this trail crossing? Does the sign with the bicycle picture and arrow even let drivers know there is a bike crossing? Couldn’t that arrow be interpreted to mean that bikes may be riding along the side of the road (like a “Share the Road” sign)?

Crosswalks often have freestanding signs right on the centerline of the road that warn drivers to yield to pedestrians. This intersection had no such signage at the crosswalk.What signage should be deployed where roads cross MUPs and what exactly should the signs say?

Are the road markings adequate at this trail crossing? RideWithGPS shows standard crosswalk markings on the road although they appear to be badly faded. The path was recently redone so hopefully the crosswalk markings are more visible now. What road markings should used where a road crosses a MUP?

What criteria should be used to determine whether a traffic signal should be used at these crossings? Should the determination be based on the volume of cars, the volume of MUP users, the budget or something else? When should traffic signals be controllable by cyclists and pedestrians? Should they be triggered automatically by cyclists and pedestrians on the MUP?

At this particular crossing, especially traveling eastbound, the foliage is very dense on both sides of the road just before the MUP. What line of sight should be required where a road crosses a MUP?

What about speed limits? This road has a 25-mph limit. Is that slow enough? Most school zones in my town require 20-mph. What speed limit would you set?

What other changes would you make to the road to make the intersection safer?All of the questions above address possible changes to the road. The MUP itself could use some safety enhancements.

At this intersection, it seems like the main safety features are a stop sign and some crosswalk markings for MUP users. Many MUPs use a gate or some other type of barrier to force cyclists to slow down or even stop. Clearly a stop sign was not adequate to keep a six-year old from crossing the road.

What safety treatments should MUPs receive at road crossings? If you don’t think that “one size fits all”, what criteria would you use to determine what treatments should be deployed?

downhillmaster

berner

I ride through there frequently. There are a number of road crossings with poor sight lines due to shrubbery. In a few other places shrubs grow out into the bike path pushing cyclists toward the middle making passing slight ly chancy. Occasionally I go out on pruning rides with clippers to improve things.

It is a great shame that there must be a tragic event before anyone decides to take corrective action. To my mind, just about the most tragic thing that can happen is when a child does not get the opportunity to grow and experience all life has to offer.

squirtdad

Wrong if the kid ran the stop sign (which we don't know) tragic as it is it is the kid's fault. If the car was going 100 mph such that it was not visible to cyclist stopping and then proceeding then the driver was at fault

not enough info to speculate

merlinextraligh

love it. Car is always at fault. Regardless of the fact that it appears that the road crossing the bike path clearly has the right of way.

Do you wan to be imprisoned because a child darts out in front of you, on the sole basis that you drove the heavier vehicle.

I completely agree there's too little information to speculate.

But "lock the driver up" on the sole basis that he/she operated the heavier vehicle is absurd.

Oops, sorry I forgot this A&S

Bmach

wphamilton

"Stop"

berner

I rode my bike through that crossing several days after the boy was killed but I was on the road. I stopped for a few minutes and the site had many flowers, some teddy bears, candles and a few hand written cards in envelopes, probably with condolences for the family. I also noticed the bushes were cut back with a brush hog. The bike path is maintained by RI Parks and Recreation which I suppose are the people who did the brush clearing. There are several other areas with less than ideal sight lines and I hope they get around to further clearing. Generally, the Park service does a fine job of maintenance with the verge mowed weekly, supporting a nice crop of grass, which the geese love.

CliffordK

Stop signs on a bike path are complex.

Technically, a car should always stop for a person in a crosswalk (or about to enter a crosswalk). However, a bike travelling 10 to 20 MPH can appear out of nowhere in the middle of the crosswalk. This is especially a problem when visibility is reduced.

Thus... the cars should yield for bikes, but the bikes should learn to never cross in front of a moving vehicle.

And, of course, shrubs, trees, and shadows. and corners can both make it more difficult to see bikes, as well as vehicles.

Well positioned trigger (or trip) operated flashing lights can be helpful, but one still has to respect the rule to never cross in front of a moving vehicle.

mr_bill

indyfabz

I strongly suggest that you add him to your ignore list. He regularly posts inanity just to get a rise out of people.

In any event...Many years ago a local guy was hit at a crossing similar to this. He posted on my club's email list, warning everyone about the "dangerous" intersection. The crossing does have a poor sightline going in the direction that he was travelling. But in railing against the intersection he admitted that he saw, but totally ignored the, stop sign.

mr_bill

Unauthorized Tactical Urbanism.

Good for them.

-mr. bill

TheLibrarian

In the older pictures it looks like (to a 6 yr old) that the path just goes and they have the right of way which they do but don't tempt 3000 lb monsters because the white lines go across the road. Its almost hard to tell any difference between mup and road. In the newer pic which they are actively trimming with a crossing guard and fresh paint i'd guess this is immediately after it happened for how long will they keep a crossing guard at every crossing. I'd think maybe yellow caution strips across the ground coming in and out of the mup to alert people to a road crossing if they're looking down or can't read. Of course parents need to teach their kids and have control of them but they may not even know when crossings are coming up. I often see kids getting away from parents on mups. The whole world can't be padded and safe though at least i don't want it to be. I'm often surprised by how many people do stop for you. I think the responsibility should be on the parents to actually stop at every intersection and walk the kids across until the kids know it and wait and walk across. The rest of us can just rolling stop like we always do if that. Parents also need to recognize it isn't a closed track and traffic does come across it. Gates seem too much but building with proper sight lines and more signage and paint could help but things get old and worn,

CliffordK

We have a couple of stop signs on roads with road wide rumble strips, starting about 50 feet back from the crossing.

The rumble strips are a major annoyance for bicycles, but probably not actually that harmful.

Would a similar thing on bike paths help alert snoozy cyclists to dangerous traffic conditions?

Number400

It's too easy for a young rider to get out ahead of a walking parent. Our rail trail has gates and/or poles to negotiate which helps to slow trail riders down a little. Sad story.

CliffordK

Oh, the Katy Trail in Missouri had wicked gates.

But, that does give an idea.

What about trail wide swinging gates.

Hit the button, and the gate swings from across the trail to across the road. Then after a minute or so, one gets some beeps and flashes, and the gate swings back across the bike path.

Somewhat like a railroad gate, but swinging/rotating instead allowing blocking both directions with a single gate.

Well... two gates, one on each side of the road. So, if the bike path is about a lane wide, the swinging gate one each side of the road would block one bike path and one lane of traffic.

Paul Barnard

If I were driving my car there I would obey the traffic signs and the law. I'd do the same on a bicycle. The fault here lies with the party that did not obey the law and signage.

CliffordK

It is hard to believe that any kid survives through childhood and past adolescence. They're learning, and they make mistakes.

Fortunately doctors are good at mending cuts and broken bones. But, not all can be healed.

Technically the cyclists should yield for road users, and road users should stop for people in the crosswalk.

The accident was likely caused by a compounding of errors. Child not looking. Poor visibility. Poor trail markings. Poor road markings. Car not adequately slowing. Color choice of clothing?

One can blame the victim, or blame the vehicle driver... Or one could take steps to make the crossing safer for the next child and vehicle that encounters at that intersection.

TheLibrarian

If you're going to spend that kind of money there should be tunnels or bridges at every intersection every half mile or 2 blocks whatever the case may be. Then we might as well all walk or stay home because its too dangerous to go outside.

Paul Barnard

The markings were kinda my point. Some people seemed to suggest the motorist had a duty to stop. When I drive I stop for pedestrians in crosswalks. The law requires it, and I am conditioned to do it. As cautious as I am, I don't know that I could have stopped in time had a kid rolled into the intersection there. What kind of sight lines did the motorist have? With signage directing a car to slow or stop, this may not have happened. We can only hold the parties involved to a standard required by law and or directed by signage.

Paul Barnard

I haven't priced industrial materials lately, but it sounds like the swinging guard arm would be a lot less expensive than tunnels or bridges.

adablduya

it looks to me that the roadway doe not have stop signs; additionally, the "outdated" pic shows stop signs on the MUP. assuming that is true, then why would a car have a duty to stop ? speed bumps ? great idea ....

CliffordK

The cost of an electric swinging gate is likely on the order of $1000 per gate.

Mom has one on her driveway, and they are pretty common, although one might do something a little different than a farm gate.

Of course, it is a government job so push that up to $10,000, but it isn't something that would break the bank.

How much is your kid's life worth?

Then, of course, where is it appropriate? Probably not on a path that crosses a road every 100 yards. But, it may well be appropriate on a path like the one above that appears to be a somewhat isolated intersection.

Bridges are good, but potentially expensive.

Tunnels are an option, especially in areas like along freeways where there are already road cuts or elevation changes, or along rivers and canals.

I've seen places that just used really big corrugated culvert material for the tunnel.

adablduya

wrong. car is not ALWAYS at fault. if the car had the right of way, then short of negligence (speeding, etc.), the driver is not at fault. can't be at fault if you have the right of way.

adablduya

exactly.