NOS88

I don't act the same. I've waded through all of the posts in this thread thus far, and have several things I'd like to offer.

1. There may well be different expectations about how and what an MUP is for. For example, if you visit the web site for the Schuylkill River Trail, you'll see it described as a multi-use trail. Yet, you'll also see instances where they refer to "cyclist" in a manner that gives the impression that this is the primary use. I think it reasonable for cyclist to believe that they should be able to ride fast on this MUP. After all this is the primary use. This brings me to the next point.

2. I sometimes wonder if the folks who plan many MUPs see cyclists as anything more than someone taking a casual ride for recreational purposes. It makes no sense to me that portions of the MUP where I live are not maintained in the winter, despite many people using it for commuting purposes when it can be traveled. Cycling may not be seen by designers in the same way as those who use the MUPs. Hence, I think there are some built in design problems with most MUPs. Of course, one could argue that this is the case with many thoroughfares including streets with no adjacent sidewalks forcing people to walk in the road, bike lanes that are to narrow and encourage riders to be in positions where they can be hit by opening car doors, etc.

3. Concerning those who use MUPs, at least in my area. I've seen professional cycling teams use the MUP near me one or two days before a major race in Philadelphia. They always ride in a way that is respectful of other users and still ride fast. One thing they do that I appreciate is giving warning well before most other riders do. The lead will start shouting early enough that people have time to react. Often the first alert sounded is to the other riders - something like, "Traffic ahead", which then gets passed back through the group. When the situation seems dangerous, they tend to slow down and proceed with real caution. I must say that I've rarely seen local clubs or rides behave as well as I've seen professionals ride. In terms of non-cyclist, I frequently see people who don't recognize that an MUP is a place that should be treated just like it was a highway, but with the traffic being people walking, skating, riding, running, etc. I know I'd never make a U-turn on the streets without looking first. So, for many of the people I see who act in dangerous ways, they simply aren't thinking of the MUP as a serious place, and it is. I've seen two runners collide with each other when one made an unannounced U-turn. Both ended up bloodied and hurt. So, it's not just cyclists or horses being the dangerous elements on MUPs.

4. For my part, I treat riding, regardless of where it is as a serious activity. I try to follow the rules of safety that make the most sense to me. Perhaps at the top of the list is the notion of "adjusting one's speed." When on the highway in a car and approaching an on ramp with merging traffic, I used to think "slow down", which I'm not prone to like doing, or "speed up" which appeals to my basic personality more. Hence, I would sometimes make the wrong choice and put others in danger. These days I think, "adjust your speed", which takes the "fast is better" mindset out of the picture for me. Sometimes adjusting your speed means go faster, other times it means go slower, and only being in the situation at the time can tell you which it is. I guess my point here is that often the way we think about things has an impact on how we act.