More information required. I have seen shared path systems where pedestrians were supposed to have priority but are terrorized by cyclists. Looking at you Ottawa.
this post was submitted on 07 Jun 2024
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so now we fight with other people using the paths as well? Do we send the people walking their dogs onto the same streets we do not want to ride our bikes on?
I ride my bike everywhere, even where I'm not supposed to so I'll be the last person to criticize people for walking on cycle paths. We're on the same team. Godspeed dog walkers.
Your post is probably going to get very different reactions depending on what country people are from, since bicycle infrastructure varies.
In the US a "cycle path" would probably refer to a multi-use path. Dogs are allowed on most multi-use paths in the US. On a multi-use path with cyclists and pedestrians, cyclists must yield to pedestrians. I assume that means their (leashed) dogs as well.
Now, dog owners who walk their dogs off-leash on a multi-use path with bikes and clearly posted leash requirements? They can go fuck allll the way off. Because the last thing I need in my day is a fucking terrier throwing itself in front of my bike wheel.
In Europe and other places I'd guess that "cycle path" might mean a bike lane that is painted on the sidewalk where bikes have priority? If that's what you're talking about then I agree dog owners should not be walking their dogs in what amounts to a traffic lane, but there's also not much you can do about it other than sound your bell/horn or steer around.
Shitty dog owners are shitty. Not much to be done except yell at them to be less careless of their dog's and other people's safety. And on the other hand, don't be a shitty cyclist and bully pedestrians if they have the right of way.
I don't mind if people want to walk their dogs on shared paths.
But the key is shared path.
Once they have their dog off leash, or don't bother picking up their dog's crap (or bagging said crap and leaving the bag on the trail!), then I have a problem.
I live in a fairly urban neighborhood in the US and I adopted a dog a week ago. In that week I have learned that the places I'm allowed to bring said dog are practically nowhere.
Similar to cyclists, we are just trying to make use of whatever leftover space we've been allowed to use.
Dogs can be trained to be intelligent with bicycles. Mine loves to run fast alongside the e-bike on a riverside path - and biking rather than walking the dog also keeps her running straight, rather than exploring sideways or investigating others. She also likes to ride in the trailer. It's dogs that are stuck too long behind fences that are more likely to want to bother cycles. Another hazard for a bike is intercepting one of those very-long dog-leads.
Go around them?
Here in California, we have three distinct forms of bicycle infrastructure, being 1) bike lanes (painted adjacent to mainline road traffic), 2) bike paths (physically separated spaces adjacent to a roadway), and 3) bike trails (wholly separate paths, usually along natural features). There's a fourth category which are "bike routes" but those are just signage and maps, not actual infrastructure.
When you say "cycle lanes", what exactly do you mean? If it's the UK use of that term, I think that maps to California's bike lanes. Here, I do see a fair number of dog walkers in the bike path. Not all of them, but maybe one in every three. As an bike rider, this just means I have to pass them; they're usually kind enough to be (correctly) walking down the left edge of the road, facing traffic.
Most areas in this state have narrow sidewalks, so to prevent conflicts with other pedestrian, it's understandable why dog walkers would want to use the street instead. It's the same why joggers also use the street, since it's usually a smoother surface where tripping is a non-issue.
For the traffic levels in a suburban area, I don't really see an issue. In an urban area, it would be a major issue because of the bicycle volume. So I'm not sure there's a general solution, apart from advising dog walkers to walk while facing traffic, so that the conflict can at least be negotiated safely.