Once again Pima County is urging users of The Loop to be courteous and share the path.
Here’s the text of an email from Pima County about the issue:
The number one complaint we receive regarding The Loop is about cyclists, sometimes even groups of cyclists, travelling at excessive speeds; passing without alerting other users; and often times passing into the lane of on-coming users. Please control your speed, alert other users who you are overtaking, and do not pass into on-coming traffic. As far as how to alert other users as to your intention to pass, simply call out, “passing” and/or ring your bell if you have one. In lieu of additional regulatory and advisory signing along The Loop (and in hopes of not adding to the sign pollution), we are relying on Loop users to be courteous to each other. Thank you.
The county also issued an open letter in 2014 requesting cyclists tone it down on the loop.
It’s unsurprising that this is the biggest complaint that the county hears. A small component of Loop cyclists uses the path for higher-speed training, which is frankly inappropriate in the more congested sections. *Most* cyclists aren’t doing this, and ride courteously, but it only takes a small fraction behaving inappropriately to attract notice.
The Loop is still the safest place to ride, run, walk, and skate in town. What’s the injury rate on this path? It’s got to be nearly zero.
I commute on it and walk on it with my family and there are some awful cyclists on it. I appreciate being alerted when others pass. Walking on it makes me a more considerate cyclist on it. At the same time there are lots of careless walkers who choose to walk in the middle or to walk across without looking. We all need to be more courteous and aware.
@ignorant drivers Exactly. And really, there are sections of the Loop where you can safely go a lot faster… we all just need to be courteous when we’re sharing space.
@Brett My favorite parts of the Loop (for any purpose: riding, running, walking, walking with dog) are those that have a nice wide paved path, and a nearby gravel path. Also, the sections where you have a north bank and south bank option.
Ditto on the “we all need to be courteous.” But I also do think that pedestrians bear the least responsibility, because the risk of injury when people bump together at walking speed is very low. Because of the speed and equipment factor, I think other users, especially cyclists, bear more responsibility. (Obviously, don’t suddenly jump in front of a cyclist…).
cleoschyck I would add that it’s the horse folks who suck the most. PICK UP AFTER YOUR GIGANTIC PET! If you’re going to ride a horse on a public multi-use path, you should definitely be carrying a shovel or else tie a bag under its tail.
cleoschyck Also, true about those vacant sections of the Loop. Most of the Santa Cruz path, especially north of Grant, has essentially no pedestrians. That’s a great place to ride fast.
Anybody riding “fast” on the Rillito should be on River road. Santa Cruz, Julian wash, Harrison are great places to ride hard. Anyone capable of riding 18+ mph is fit enough to ride their ass to a safer section of the loop for higher speeds. I do it all the time. Save the Rillito for all the head phone wearing pedestrians (who can’t hear on the left anyway) and Dogs
I ride a bike and I find the majority of riders to be rude when passing not just here but everywhere!