More on CCT closure and speed limit

Mark wrote me (with launch two weeks away, I haven't the time I'd like to do my own research, so thanks)

I just received a call from Steve Chandlee of the Maryland-National Parks & Planning Commission. He was returning my calls to him and to his supervisors, Mary Bradford and Brian Woodward. Steve listened patiently as I explained my concerns: that a 15 mph speed limit on the CCT appears arbitrary and inappropriately presumes that all, and only, trail users exceeding that speed are contributing to unsafe conditions; that the speed limit does not address inattentiveness and failure to consider others' concurrent use of the trail; and that a speed limit serves as a disincentive to law-abiding commuters, who wish to use the trail safely and in the spirit of reducing traffic congestion and environmental impact. I expressed concern that the decision to impose the speed limit came without public notice and comment, and did not seem to take into account the interests of the hundreds of commuters who use the trail each weekday. I also expressed my opinion that commuters and others within the cycling community would be prepared to help promote trail safety, and that we, as a community, understand that this is a great resource that we wouldn't want the behavior of a few weekend warriors to jeopardize.

Steve agreed that those are all good points. He agreed that the Commission should consider how best to accomplish the goal of trail safety without neglecting or ignoring commuters' use. He agreed that if the Commission decided to go ahead with a speed limit, it would first consider whether it could create exceptions for certain "peak commuter times" or the like. He pledged to explore the issue with the Park Police and others. Finally, he agreed that the Commission would not go ahead with posting the speed limits without such consideration and without first notifying the public; he pledged to me, personally, that he would inform me before the decision was made to proceed with speed limits. (I will add that last promise is important to me as a lawyer, should all else fail and it become necessary to seek injunctive relief against the M-NCPPC for failing to abide with the Maryland Administrative Procedure Code, Md. Code. Ann., State Gov't secs. 10-111(a) & 10-125--which I certainly hope would not have to occur.)

To the extent that you haven't already done so, I would continue to encourage anyone who would be affected by a 15 mph speed limit on the CCT to contact the County Council or your Maryland State representatives. Let them know that you share the concern over safe and fair use of the trail, and let them know, too, that the cycling community cares about this issue and is prepared to help.

To express your own concern, write a message to the County Council or State Assembly:

Bill Bronrott, Delegate to the State Assembly, District 16: Bill4MD16@aol.com
Montgomery County Council: county.council@montgomerycountymd.gov

It's funny that I still never know which posts will get a lot of comments and which will not. This one caught me by surprise.

Comments

[Joe]

Thanks for looking into this! The proposed 15mph speed limit will not accomplish the goal of cyclists, runners, walkers, skaters, etc using the trail in a more safe manor. Most likely it would have the opposite affect.

[icon o'classt]

How do they plan to enforce these limits? Require all bikes to be equipped with a speedometer, and create a department to inspect them and calibrate them? Hide a cop along the trail with a speedgun?

Absurd, and obviously unenforceable. I don't think there's much here to be concerned about, regardless of how it pans out. Ultimately, the signs would merely be reminders to people to take it easy on the trails. Maybe that's the goal.

For the record, I'm against a speed limit.

[Contrarian]

I swear that when I started commuting the trail used to have a 15-mph speed limit, 20-mph on week days. Although that may have been just on the DC section.

[Contrarian]

I'll add that I generally find the trail unusable on weekends when the weather is nice. I've found that Little Falls Parkway is a pretty good parallel route.

[Contrarian]

That section of trail is overseen by MNCPPC. Like most government agencies, they have a public rule-making process -- they can't just decide to put up signs with new rules.

The current rules are here: http://www.mncppc.org/index.cfm?id=1rule

Note that a 25-mph speed limit for cyclists is already a regulation, as is a requirement that speed be "reasonable and prudent."

The regulations also say, "Bicycle trail users shall yield to vehicular traffic at intersecting roadways." But state law says the opposite. Hmm.

You can read the Maryland Code here:
http://michie.lexisnexis.com/maryland/lpext.dll?f=templates&fn=main-h.htm&cp

MCNPPC is covered in article 28, title 5, section 113.

[Rocky6]

There is also a fairly balanced set of safety guidelines offered by the Coalition for the CCT here: http://www.cctrail.org/CCT_Safety.htm

No speed limit mentioned, but says: "Keep safe, reasonable speed" and "Adjust speed to trail congestion and surface conditions."

Makes sense to me.

Also, to another of Contrarian's points, it says, "STOP at stop signs, they indicate dangerous cross car traffic."

http://www.tfhrc.gov/safety/pedbike/pubs/05137/index.htm

[Kup]

The message that was pasted into this thread, regarding a conversation with Steve Chandlee on May 17, was originally mine, posted to the MABRA listserv. I just found this blog, and I'm glad to discuss the issue further with those interested--

kup underscore 98 at yahoo