Not using Sidewalks at Night

You know, if those kids were in a play group they wouldn't get run over in the street...

...wait a minute...wrong thread...sorry Brim, I just had a flashback!

 

nice.

Good luck on Sunday! Go Colts!

 

Go Pats! Should be a good game -- I think it will be decided by a touchdown or less. I like my Pats, though!

 

Pats_Fan

Stir away! And thank you for not calling me a right-wing wacko. (If you've been reading the board lately, that seems to be the standard response to anyone with an alternative viewpoint)

 

Boy, we have it tough... trying to navigate around the occasional pedestrian in our BMW 5-series! Wah. Natural selection I say.

 

If you don't like the way I drive, then stay off of the sidewalk!

 

Trying to stay in shape is hard enough. Running 5-10 miles around Broadlands can be difficult, especially staying on the asphalt trails (which end abruptly in many places). Next you are going to tell me to run on the school track. There aren't many people who enjoy running 25 circles in the same place, and flat surfaces sure don't provide a decent workout. I've been working over the years to get the path to connect Ashburn Farm and Broadlands, so far to no success. But at least I'm trying to do something about it.

If I want to take the chance of becoming a hood ornament, I guess that's my right. Especially since when I am running in daylight and also staying on the shoulder (or as close as possible when there isn't one). To me, the benefits outweigh the risks. And yes, runners and cyclists have every right to be on the road as long as they obey the laws.

BTW, I'm one of THOSE who run Waxpool in front of Carisbrooke. I've done it since before Claiborne even existed, and continue to do it now even with construction. I still have the right to be on the road if I am following the law. I've been waiting patiently for years for them to continue their asphalt path further than it is now. The speed limit then was higher way back when, but so few people have slowed down to follow the law. Go figure.

 

There is the law and then their is common sense. The two seldom meet.

 

That may be so, but the fact remains that if you hit a pedestrian who is legally on the street, you won't be the one suing the pedestrian. "Let the driver beware."

 

Out of curiousity, I found the following information of VA "pedestrian right of way" in Virginia.

http://metroped.org/SafeCross/VA_Code.htm

I'm not certain of its accuracy, but at the bottom of the page there is a link to the Virginia Code (which contains the exact legislative language).

 

For what it's worth.
I did a little bit of research and this is what I found. This if from the "Code of Virginia" http://leg1.state.va.us

§ 46.2-928. Pedestrians not to use roadway except when necessary; keeping to left.

Pedestrians shall not use the roadways for travel, except when necessary to do so because of the absence of sidewalks which are reasonably suitable and passable for their use. If they walk on the hard surface, or the main travelled portion of the roadway, they shall keep to the extreme left side or edge thereof, or where the shoulders of the highway are of sufficient width to permit, they may walk on either shoulder thereof.

(Code 1950, § 46-247; 1950, p. 850; 1958, c. 541, § 46.1-234; 1968, c. 165; 1989, c. 727.)

 

I think these support my assertion that it is not appropriate to use major roads for jogging or walking. [^]

 

...although a jogger might say that poorly lit and uneven sidewalks are not "reasonably suitable and passable for their use."

 

A jogger may but it wont pass the reasonable person test.

 

Homer! That sounds like attorney-speak! Are you sure you would ask a "reasonable person" whether a poorly lit and uneven sidewalk is reasonably suitable and passable for the "use" of jogging? Seems to me you would ask a jogger...

 

According to the same "Code of Virginia" bicyclist have the right to be on any road.

As a (somewhat) avid bicyclist, I was pretty sure this was true. I did take a class years ago (in Maryland) and the law there was that bicycles coul dbe ridden on the road as long as the speed limit on the road was 50 MPH or less. The VA law has no such speed exclusion.

That being said, I still prefer to do as much of my riding as possible off the roads. I just don't feel comfortable being on the road with no protecttion (except for a helmet) with the possibility of being struck by any vehicle. But there are some (very) avid bicyclist who prefer to ride on the road. They don't like the limits imposed by riding on a trail. There are many more ride options by going on roads. If you go to the Potomac Peddlers site http://www.bikepptc.org/ lists a lot of rides, most of which are on roads.

Homer, I even agree with you about bicyclist on Route 15. I would never even consider riding on that road, even though it is allowed by the law. As has been said before legal is not synonomous with safe/smart. Those people are placing their lives in the hands of the drivers on 15 (some of which are scary to follow even when there are no bicyclist present).

One final comment. If you go to the VA site listed, while it states that bicyclist and motorized bikes/vehicles (mopeds, scooters, etc) are allowed.

Finally, it says animals are allowed to be ridden or driven on the roads. If you think the trafic was bad on Monday, imaging what it would have been like everyday if someone decided to ride a horse to work!

 

Homer! That sounds like attorney-speak! Are you sure you would ask a "reasonable person" whether a poorly lit and uneven sidewalk is reasonably suitable and passable for the "use" of jogging? Seems to me you would ask a jogger...
[/quote]

Of course the Joggers will say that. And the drivers will say otherwise. I'm fairly certain the number of drivers vs joggers excluding the number who belong to both groups is the majority.

And what good are the paths if they aren't being used? I'm with the joggers to get the paths upgraded and more of them put in. I'd like to be able to walk to Safeway w/o walking on the grass.

 

I know that it's legal for bikes. I bike around here too but the idea of biking on Claiborne makes my blood run cold. I prefer to bike on the trails and side roads.

 

It is such a nice day and I was inspired by all this walking /jogging talk so I decided to take a quick spin around the neighborhood with the stroller. At several points during my walk the sidewalk/path ended abruptly leaving me no where to go. Now I would expect this in some places where neighborhoods are new or under construction but I was on Claiborne Parkway. Could this be the issue for the jogger or dog walker? Additionally the paths/sidewalks were at times impassible because of construction, parked cars in driveways overlapping on to the sidewalks or missing sections of cement. We were often forced on to the grass. By the way not everyone picks up after their dog ! Limited by the strollers off wheeling capabilities we were forced to use the street twice, both coming in and out of our neighborhood. Of course so as not to be accused of being a bad parent I had a bright reflector across my bum!!! That being said sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.