runners in bike lanes - how to handle?

[CCrew]

Come on...don't act like the worst of the drivers around here. I see comments like that about cyclists in the road all the time. It doesn't help when you start acting like them.

I'd never harm them. And most are polite and move. The "I'm running where I damn welll please because I'm a pedestrian" ones? Fair game in my book.

Keep in mind I'm dealing with them in the wee hours of the am. Chicken involves 1200 watts of zombie scorching LED's. 400 of which is on a helmet that I can aim at will. They move.

[Usern Ame]

Well think of it this way - how would joggers take it if bikers were in a "jogging" lane? They wouldn't take it at all.

[theakston]

Well think of it this way - how would joggers take it if bikers were in a "jogging" lane? They wouldn't take it at all.

Is there such a thing as a jogging lane? where?

[justasaintz]

I agree that joggers do not belong on the bike lanes.

As pointed out earlier Pedestrians are legally bound to sidewalks and bike lanes are roads after all, since cars/bikes are allowed to cross each other's lanes when necessary but keep to their lanes at all other times.

Cycling on multi-use trails is different. Pedestrians have the right of way there and I respect that, Just like on sidewalks of DC. But I don't see any reason for giving way to people walking/jogging on the bike lane. Having said that would i be careful about them? yes absolutely, I don't want to be hurt or hurt someone. That does not mean i am agree with pedestrians on bike lanes.

BTW...if cycles are not allowed on GW Parkway and a car hits you, they have every right to contest the legality of riding on the parkway and will probably win. You are the one causing the offense and endangering others. Just like pedestrians jay walking. speaking of which, would jogging in bike lanes constitute jay walking? and hence illegal?

[baiskeli]

Just last night I ran into (figuratively) this problem.

On my way home from manning the BikeArlington booth at the county fair, two joggers were in the bike lane on Fairfax Drive. In the dark. With headphones on. That's dumb even without a bike coming your way.

I called out a warning loudly several times. I was trying to make a point about their safety more than anything, since auto traffic there is really light and I could easily go around them. They finally got the message, when I was right behind them. After I passed one gave me their excuse: "I didn't hear you." Um, yeah, with headphone on running in the street at night, that's gonna happen.

[Usern Ame]

No, there's no such thing as a jogging lane. The point is to imagine if there were a lane devoted specifically to joggers and bikers started using it.

[KLizotte]

I find jogging in the bike lanes to be all the more irksome since there are sidewalks EVERYWHERE (which we cyclists help pay for I might add). We cyclists are only asking for our little bit of space and peds already have so much.

The joggers should also realize that it is unreasonable and unsafe to expect us to swerve into traffic in order to go around them. For that reason alone, it should be made illegal. And joggers running in the wrong direction is insane - they really can't expect us to do a long swoop around them so they aren't frightened out of their wits by a cyclist heading straight at them can they?

Saw my first "against traffic" bike lane jogger last week on South Joyce Street in front of Pentagon Row (brand new, mostly wide bike lanes there). I think the County is going to have revise its laws soon as more lanes are put in place.

My last pet peeve: peds on MUTs who do not wear blinkies/reflective gear at night (same goes for cyclists who don't use blinkies). I decided after last night's ride that I need to buy some more candle power to make sure I don't bump into someone's dog or a jogger wearing all black.

Thank goodness it's Friday.

[CCrew]

I decided after last night's ride that I need to buy some more candle power to make sure I don't bump into someone's dog or a jogger wearing all black.

Since 50% of my commute is in the dark of night now you understand why I run as much candlepower as I do. I've found that the helmet mounted light is the most effective of all, in that I can aim for the errant ninja yet look down or away to stop from blinding one that has the sensibilities to wear gear that can be seen.

[Greenbelt]

My favorite are the folks who powerwalk against the flow in the bikelanes. In groups sometimes. With a sidewalk right next to them. I'm sorry, but they're jerks.

[5555624]

My favorite are the folks who powerwalk against the flow in the bikelanes. In groups sometimes. With a sidewalk right next to them. I'm sorry, but they're jerks.

Anyone going against the flow is easy to deal with -- I get off my bike and stand next to it. Between my bike and I, I can pretty much block most of the bike lane and make them go out and into traffic or onto the sidewalk. If they say something, I just comment that since they are not supposed to be in the bike lane, I just want to make sure they don't have to deal with a moving bike and get hurt.