Could Marine Rules Work on Trails?

Electric Bikes Provide Added Trail Access

A big thanks to Bob who recently sent in a very well-thought-out comment about the Trailsnet Should Electric Bikes Be Allowed on Trails post. Bob started out by making some astute observations about electric bikes allowing for more trail access for those of us whose bones, muscles & joints ain’t quite what they used to be. Then he wrote about a subject near and dear to my heart: keeping speeds (both human-powered and electric) low on trails.

Trail Rules Borrowed from Maritime Tradition?

Then Bob made a great suggestion. As a way of providing trail access for a broad range of users while also keeping the trails safe and sane, maybe we could use some of the same rules already being used in the Maritime community. Bob suggested, “I would recommend bike path rules to be similar to marine ‘Rules of the Road’  E-bikes (when under power) yield to bikes, and all yield to pedestrians, much like sailboats under power, yield to sailboats, and all yield to human powered boats.”

Is it just me or does that not make a whole heap of sense? I’d love to hear any other suggestions. The Trailsnet community if chock full of great ideas just waiting to be shared.

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2012/08/04/could-marine-rules-work-on-trails/

1 ping

  1. […] « Could Marine Rules Work on Trails? […]

We'd love to read your comments, suggestions &/or trail information.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.