Yield to pedestrian sign on the Eagleland Reach. Photo by Scott Ball.
Cyclists and pedestrians share the Eagleland Reach path on the San Antonio River. Photo by Scott Ball.

“To your left.”

That’s the responsible call of a cyclist on the Museum, Eagleland and Mission Reaches of the San Antonio River as they pass pedestrians along the paved pathways. Of course, that assumes the pedestrians are observing the rules and walking to the right to give the cyclists space to pass. Too often, the growing number of cyclists and walkers are ignoring the rules.

The San Antonio River, one of the most dramatic big city green space transformations in the last decade, is experiencing growing pains. From the narrow urban confines of the Museum Reach to the serene wildscape of the Mission Reach, more and more cyclists, joggers, and walkers are crowding the paved pathways and trails. Club riders in matching kits, hipsters on colorful single-speed rides, families with children on starter bikes, people walking pets, and nature lovers are all crossing paths, creating just the kind of active, outdoor community that city leaders envisioned.

That’s the problem. It’s getting crowded out there and not everyone is behaving. Cyclists on road bikes are moving at inappropriately high speeds that intimidate walkers and children. Pedestrians walking side by side and blocking the pathway, carelessly drifting to the left, or wearing ear buds that – depending on the volume – can block out the warning calls of passers-by also are a big part of the problem.

A cyclist passes a family while taking a stroll on the Mission Reach at sunset. Photo by Scott Ball.
A cyclist passes a family while taking a stroll on the Mission Reach at sunset. Photo by Scott Ball. Credit: Scott Ball / San Antonio Report

Josephine “Josie” Davidson, along with her husband Marshall Davidson Jr. and their three young children literally live on the river in King William, and the family walks and bikes down the Mission Reach on weekends. Josie walks every day, 50 miles a week, and has watched as the paths have grown more crowded and more and more people ignore share the path protocols.

“Just recently I read an article about a woman who was walking in Central Park. She was hit by a cyclist on a path,” Davidson wrote in an article published today on the Rivard Report. “The force of the collision threw her to the ground and the ensuing head injury, after a few days in a coma, proved fatal. Reading that story made me realize how lucky we are that this hasn’t happened here and how much we need to raise awareness of this issue.

Read More: Slow Down and Share the Path, Cyclists

Davidson’s anecdotal evidence adds up at the river authority offices as more and more people register complaints.

“There have been some accidents already, at least one recent pedestrian-bicycle collision where, thankfully, no one was seriously hurt, but it’s a sign of what could become more commonplace,” said Steven Schauer, manager of external communication for the San Antonio River Authority. “We’ve also seen a number of single bicycle accidents because there was a curve, a sharp turn, a wet sidewalk, and one recent fall where a cyclist gashed their head pretty good.”

One unwelcome development, Schauer said, is the proliferation of smart phone apps that map the Mission Reach and lay out time trial courses, inviting competitive cyclists to match themselves against others speeding along the pathways and then posting their times.

“We’ve reached out to cycling groups with our ‘share our the path’ message, but there are apps that some use to time their rides on a route,” Schauer said. “We’ve contacted some of these app developers to try to get them to note that some stretches that are not safe to speed.”

The problem seems especially acute along the Eagleland Reach of the river, that stretch south of the King William Reach that includes the Blue Star Arts Complex and Brackenridge High School. Many cyclists who do not live downtown arrive in their vehicles and park at the Blue Star, where cycling clubs also meet up. The same area is thick with walkers and local residents walking their dogs. A sign asks cyclists to walk their bikes from the Blue Star, which many ignore.

A sign informing cyclists to yield to pedestrians posted just south of Blue Star Arts Complex on the Eagleland Reach. Photo by Scott Ball.
A sign informing cyclists to yield to pedestrians posted just south of Blue Star Arts Complex on the Eagleland Reach. Photo by Scott Ball.

Tracy Hamilton, a former journalist who blogs for CPS Energy, and her seven-year-old daughter, Nola, are frequent visitors to the Mission Reach.

“My daughter and I walk the dog and play along the Mission Reach most evenings and weekends, which means we’ve been surprised many times by a cyclists whizzing by without alerting us by bell or a hearty ‘On your left!’ call. We’ve yet to be hit, but it’s often scary,” Hamilton said. “The cyclists who don’t alert walkers think we can hear them coming, and walkers who take up the entire path can be oblivious, too.

“We know education campaigns can work, but it takes time and they need to be sustained with multiple efforts – signs, billboards, social media, and peer pressure,” Hamilton said. “Many San Antonians are relatively new to a healthy and outdoor lifestyle; they just need to be educated on the rules of the road. I’d love to see the paths eventually widened, and perhaps dedicated with stripes to each mode of travel.”

The Museum Reach presents a different kind of problem. The sidewalks along the stretch from downtown north to Brackenridge Park are narrow and less linear. A growing number of locals and visitors can be found walking the 1.5 mile reach between the downtown River Walk and the Pearl. That will only intensify with the opening next year of the Hotel Emma at the Pearl and new multi-family developments along and near Broadway in the works.

One possible solution is to ban all bikes except for B-cycles on the Museum Reach. B-cycles are heavy and slow and do not present the same kind of threat to pedestrians as faster cyclists on road bikes and hybrids.

Schauer said cyclists who do not call out their passing to pedestrians is the leading problem on all reaches of the river.

“I’ve been out there leading a tour or just inspecting the project and without any warning, cyclists have zipped by, right next to me,” Schauer said. “We are working on putting up more signage, but the Mission Reach is supposed to be a natural area. How many signs do you want to put up there?”

SARA officials have discussed various options, including posted speed limits and speed bumps, but these create more problems. Speed limits are not enforceable by park police, and speed bumps detract from the experience for everyone. No one wants a lot of signage at every turn of the path.

“The best option is education,” Schauer said. “We need to get the community to appreciate the resource. Cyclists who want to speed should be off the trails and on the streets. People are out there in big numbers, it’s a measure of success.”

What has been your experience on the river paths?

*Featured/top image: Cyclists and pedestrians share the Eagleland Reach path on the San Antonio River. Photo by Scott Ball. 

This story was originally published on Sunday, Nov. 2, 2014. 

Related Stories:

Slow Down and Share the Path, Cyclists

Síclovía No. 7 Turns East to Dignowity Park

Riding Bikes to the Quarry: A Slightly Treacherous Adventure

Kayaking in King William and Along the Mission Reach

In Speech and Play, a City Reclaims the San Antonio River’s Mission Reach

Future Pastime: Riding South Flores Bike Lanes in Protest

Robert Rivard, co-founder of the San Antonio Report who retired in 2022, has been a working journalist for 46 years. He is the host of the bigcitysmalltown podcast.

59 replies on “Sharing the San Antonio River A Growing Problem”

  1. They should make a 5mph speed limit…

    U know like the 25mph speed limit pitched earlier this week for cars…

  2. Are the sidewalks painted? Are there signs people are ignoring? Why not start with painted walkways indicating walking and biking lanes and that also tell speeds?
    I couldn’t understand if the walkways were painted or not.

  3. I keep my bike off the mission reach because of overcrowding. When I have ridden I find that it is difficult to see pedestrians in the early evenings. The river authority needs to recommend that all users carry lights.

  4. This is a problem not unique to the Riverwalk. Same issue with pedestrians and cyclists in the Salado and Leon Creek Greenway systems (and others I am sure). Going for an early morning walk or run on these pathways can be very dangerous because of the speeding cyclists coming around blind curves.

  5. What a shame that this article so heavily blames cyclists. As someone who has enjoyed riding the mission trails for the last 8 years- my biggest complaint following the improvements are walkers and runners who have headphones too loud. I habitually call out “on your left” and only about 10% can even hear me. Half of those say “thanks” and the other half give me dirty looks because they apparently don’t know what this means. Yes to education- of both sides.

  6. Thanks for writing this. It’s nice to know I’m not the only one to gripe about the cyclists on the river. However, as a museum reach walker, I assumed the mission reach was more bike-friendly with wider paths. That’s sad that there’s not a great place for them to ride.

  7. As a jogger, I love it when cyclists have bells. I hope it becomes standard for SA trails. Much easier to hear/make (and more pleasant) than the “on your left call”. I also think walkers/joggers should raise their hand in recognition when they hear a biker so the cyclist knows its safe to pass.

  8. The problem with the trails is that everyone thinks they own them. Walkings, runners, moms with baby strollers, dogs and their owners and cyclists. The fact is none of us own the trail. We share it. Education on everyone’s part is needed. I also believe that marking the trails with a solid like down the middle would go a long way towards keeping everyone on their side of the trail.

  9. I have stopped going to the Mission Reach because I am concerned about colliding with the high speed cyclists coming around a curve. But the trails at other parks I walk have similar problems with high speed cyclists. I have never had a near collision with joggers, dogs, strollers, or pedestrians. I go to the trails to connect with nature and the outdoors. Every time cyclists shouts on your left, which is what they are supposed to do, my heart beats faster because I am startled.

  10. What is a “high speed cyclist”? 5mph? 15mph? I know many and I myself have sped along the greenways but ONLY when I can already see zero people for a section…I’m slow on curves and at busy times. I have had many occurances when pedestrians are wearing earbuds in their left ear don’t acknowledge when you shout out “passing”. This is a common issue for shared trails. As for lights at dusk/dawn I agree but the trails are daylight only.

  11. Education is the key – some signage is good but perhaps some well done PSAs would be a good use of money. They should address pedestrian/cycling safety overall – sidewalks (not talking about linear parks like along the river) are for pedestrians not cyclists, and few seem to know the rules of walking/running facing traffic and riding with the traffic. This is becoming a more frightening problem because the potential for serious injury or worse is greater. And having alternate routes for cyclists would definitely help. We used to travel along Ave B before it was torn up and left that way. It was the perfect cycling route – not many pedestrians and few to no cars as all of the traffic was on Broadway.

  12. As I’ve said before, walkers and runners have an obligation too. There have been many times I use my bell or voice and pedestrians can’t hear me since they’re blasting music in both ears. At least only have 1 earbud in so you can hear traffic. This goes for cyclist too.
    I believe Austin has a speed limit for its multi-use trails, I forget what it is though

  13. The times I’ve been riding the trails I’ve seen cyclists all geared up treating the trail like their own private track. Doesn’t matter what pedestrians do. Cyclists must ALWAYS yield to pedestrians.

  14. I cycle and run on the paths and understand the dilemma from both sides. Just yesterday, I was running when a cyclist whizzed by without notification. I wasn’t using headphones and was jolted by his speed on passing. Thankfully I caught up to him in the parking lot and politely asked that in the future he call out to pedestrians. We’ve all got to “Share the Road” and be nice to one another.

  15. On sharp turns they have put a painting stripe to make sure cyclists don’t zoom around the corner. I run a lot on the trails and mostly everyone is courteous. By cyclists tend to be the jerks by cutting through or zooming by with no warning. I respect the ones who ring the bell or yell. If I do it so should they. There’s be dozens of times I’ve nearly been hit by running on the far right side.

  16. not at all surprised by this considering how terrible people drive in their cars here. It translates into their walking/running and biking too obviously.

  17. It’s too narrow for my comfort. I’ve only biked the SAMA/Pearl stretch once and that was enough. I neither want to hit someone nor end up in the gross river water.

  18. our cyclists are getting as bad as Austin cyclists! whizzing past pedestrians on walkways, buzzing in front of cars carelessly- it’s unreal what I see daily in my neighborhood! Yesterday I was downtown and witnessed two cyclists that darted in front my car on the street when I had a green light, then weave through families & tourists along the sidewalk- I was like geez pick an avenue of terror! Riding a cycle does not entitle anyone to ignore traffic laws and basic etiquette.

  19. My experience has been pedestrians who are wearing earbuds. This is particularly unnerving when they are wearing earbuds and walking dogs. How loud do they think I can yell?

  20. The real problem is that we are such a car-centric city that the best we can do is provide 3 areas for bikers to be almost quarantined. Then we do silly things like remove the bike lanes from Flores Street. Bike etiquette is definitely important but if you want to bike or already bike your options in town are very limited. The proper place for bikes is the street and that is the battle everyone is avoiding because it’s gonna get messy.

    1. Agree. Last month was pelted with 1) a beverage and 2) raw egg (separate incidents, the last on Halloween) while riding city streets. I ride above 15 mph, understand this frightens pedestrians and runners, and therefore make an effort to use the greenways before 7 a.m., when they are less crowded. It’s not ideal, would prefer streets if I felt safer.

      And yes, casual pedestrians are as likely to move left as right when one yells, “On your left.” I’ve even had them yell angrily after I’ve passed (swerving), “I _am_ on the left!”

    2. Agree. In the last month, have been pelted by a beverage and a raw egg (separate incidents, the last on Halloween) while riding city streets. I ride above 15 mph, understand this scares pedestrians/runners, and so make an effort to ride trails before 7 a.m., when they are practically unpopulated. Not ideal, but until streets are safer…

      And it’s true that casual pedestrians are as likely to move left as right when they hear, “On your left.” I’ve even had one yell angrily at me, “I _am_ on the left!”

  21. Education is so important. Most bikers know the rules and are careful. I’d say the same for runners. But walkers are all over the board. Many get it, but many more are oblivious. I’ve come across families who cover the path, including dogs on leashes. When you call out to warn them, you still have to stop and wait patiently while they gather all their group together for you to pass. Even smaller groups often have no clue. When a biker calls out “On your left,” the walkers’ actions are completely unpredictable. That’s why many bikers no longer call out. You’re likely to startle the walker and they are just as likely to jump into your path as out of it!

  22. Education is probably the key. As both a cyclist and pedestrian almost daily on the River, I have the most trouble with peds while I’m cycling. A lot of them like to take up the whole sidewalk if they’re in groups of two or more and yes, a lot of them can’t hear you say “to your left” or don’t understand that you’re trying to get by them. Cyclists frequently annoy me on the street where 8 out of 10 of them will disregard common rules of the road, but on the River, I’ve found most of them to be pretty good about attempting to let peds know they’re coming.

    Education.

  23. I have (been forced) to have encounters with very large groups of cyclists moving at 20 mph on stretches of the riverwalk extensions just north and south of Blue Star. When ‘rude’ is involved it has ALWAYS been over geared gangs with the over-priced and ridiculous bike apparel. Twice they yelled at my 9 year old to get out of the way. She was a short distance ahead of me on a curve where I was not yet visible both times. Both times I pulled my bike crossways and confronted them. Not so brave with an angry parent.

  24. Not ‘everyone’ is the same problem here. Pedestrians do not pose a physical threat to others unless the ‘others’ are moving at unsafe speeds and cornering blind at high speeds. The pedestrians are a treated like a dangerous nuisance. I have been run into by pedestrians downtown. We say excuse me and no-one needs stitches.

  25. Another thing to keep in mind is that other cities are way ahead of SA on this. For example, Austin is a very outdoor active community, where bikers and joggers and walkers participate together on the same trails with few hassles. They’ve just been doing it longer. The real key is educating automobile drivers. Once bikers feel safe on the roads, as they do in Austin, they will not impact the trails quite as heavily.

  26. I’ve had several run in with cyclists that have left a bitter taste in my mouth, two that are pretty noteworthy. The first happened about 3 years ago on the river walk extension- a bicyclist managed to hit me and my dog and pin us between the concrete side because he wasn’t paying attention in a tricky area to maneuver and was going too fast. Im pretty sure the guy was inexperienced biking that area, nonetheless if I wasn’t paying attention he could have seriously hurt us. The second happened about a 1.5 years ago were a cyclist came by so fast and close on the Salado creek greenway that it spooked my dog and tripped me while running. I was especially irritated because there’s plenty of room on that trail and the guy didn’t have any concern for our personal space. Nor did the jerk stop. As a runner I get nervous when cyclists are out- I’ve had too many instances where they move to acknowledge my presence at the very last second. It doesn’t feel good to be treated like your an obstacle on the trail, especially when your doing your part to make sure there’s room for every one.

  27. I’m with Lorenzo on this one. I ride the city trails because drivers have, by court precedent, the right to run bikers over. I also walk the trails and agree that the bells are better than yells. Return the bike lanes to our roads, prosecute manslaughter, and the trails will decompress.

  28. Beautifully written. Love the meditate/medicate line. Clever. Please consider writing some nature columns. The flora and fauna are the real stars here and more writing about that rich and growing diversity would be a welcome note. I enjoyed this piece very much.

  29. A “growing problem”? Lol, that’s quite an embellishment/click bait headline.

  30. I ride a bike as my primary recreation and exercise. The Museum Reach is too narrow for bicycles. Bikes should not be allowed on the Museum Reach. End of logic lesson.

    1. Agreed that the museum reach is less than ideal for recreational cycling. As a skilled rider with nearly 20 years experience in urban cycling, I have to admit that stretch is too narrow with too many blind corners for the amount of traffic it gets. I can’t count the number of track stands I’ve done waiting for safe passage past other users. But if the city bans bikes there, the ban should include b-cycles as well since those users tend to be far less experienced in passing and require even more space.

      And while we’re talking bans to promote safety, they should also ban retractable dog leashes. One moment a dog is controlled on a 4′ lead, the next it’s running loose on a 25′ clothesline.

  31. I agree that some people need to be educated on trail etiquette. Too many times have I rode my bike and have people walking on the wrong side of the trail or allow their kids or dogs to be on the wrong side of the trail. Majority of the cyclists I see give the “on your left” warning. Too many people do not know what that means. Instead they move to the left and nearly cause accidents with the cyclist. A Majority of the close calls I have come across are caused by people not knowing the general rule of the trail. Stay to your right and pass on the left. It’s common sense but many people are not aware of these guidelines.

  32. Common sense and embracing San Antonio’s ‘poco tiempo’ culture and the design of the River Walk itself is likely the best approach. If you’re on a bike on the River Walk (and capable of inflicting the most damage in a run-in) or a Segway or skateboard or wind sprinting for that matter – sorry, but you need to slow down and be ready to yield to whatever pedestrian interaction (on a narrow walking path by a body of water) you are likely to encounter.

    Lanes, handrails,, etc. are unnecessary as they won’t curb lycra-crowd aggression or other poor judgement. Pedestrianizing more streets or lanes of streets might help to give runners and speed cyclists more options – particularly if used as a strategy to connect the parks, green belt, etc.

  33. Wondered when I saw pics of the sidewalk in the beginning how it would be big enough.

  34. San Antonians are some of the most unsophisticated ‘know your civic manners’ folks I know. I am from here too. This is what makes San Antonio lame. I have never been in a city where people do not speak up to each other to communicate (anything). When on a bike its ‘stand right, passing left’……signed, designer of the minute man bike trail in MA……also, when at an elevator, let the folks in the elevator out first and then enter right side.

  35. Education. Yes. But can you teach respect?

    Even if there are designated bike lanes, which would be great, what about kids on bikes? They’re on the bike lanes, they’re learning to cycle, with parents reminding them of where to be on the trail constantly, but then a racer comes down fast.

    How about indicating in general that the pathways are for recreation rather than racing/training, and everyone out there needs to respect everyone else, cyclists and pedestrians. I am frequently both, and above all, respect is the key.

  36. The solution on the Museum Reach is not banning all bikes except B-cycles. Educational signage for walkers and bikers, an enforced speed limit and ticketing of aggressive riders is sufficient.

  37. I constantly see walkers with earbuds who can’t hear me riding up, ringing my bell, and saying “on your left.” They stand/walk in the middle of the walkway and then jump as I ride by — yes, I was close, and yes, they are surprised, but they weren’t to the right and they couldn’t hear me coming. Banning bikes is NOT the solution!

  38. Courtesy and awareness would solve the problems. Walkers need to be aware and get over and cyclists and runners announce that they are “Passing on the left”. Simple. I can walk for an hour up and down the museum reach and not one, not one, runner or cyclist will announce that they are coming by (and I don’t wear headsets – ever). My take is that part of the river is too narrow for cyclists with the amount of traffic there lately.

  39. I bike most of the off-road trails. I don’t see it as a big problem YET, except along Leon Crk Greenway. Education could be rarcheted up a bit.
    The Mission Reach is trickiest because it is so narrow, and bikers should slow down. But I think it unfair to ban bikes .
    I’m also frustrated that the city doesn’t put in MORE BIKE LANES. They just finished the Hildebrand project and nary a bike lane in the area although it’s right in front of the university! What? Broadway can accommodate bikers if they -COSA, Alamo Hts- would do better planning. All new roads should incorporate them when repairing, rebuilding. We want SA more fit? Give us safe roads! (Sorry for the off-subject rant.)
    Also, I thought biking is already prohibited betw Blue Star and downtown.

  40. I find it hard to believe I am one of a mere 20% of riders calling out “On your left.” I rode the river two weekends ago for the second time in a year. I quit riding the mission reach because I want to ride faster than safety on the river dictates. I’ve seen cyclists ride without giving notice but more often than not, someone’s calling out prior to passing a pedestrian. I will lay some blame on walkers/runners that crank their music so loud, I hear it as I pass. Others, walking with friends, spread out across the walk and, yet, others allow a rather loose leash for their pets. I love the river and I love what’s been done to open it to the public but the walk is not wide enough to paint and section off lanes for specific uses, nor would it be the beautiful walk it’s become.

    Síclovía shuts the streets off to cars. Have you tried riding a bicycle fast through the crowds? It’s a good way to get hurt, hurt someone else and/or damage your bike. If you’re riding the mission or museum reach, do so at a moderate rate of speed. I get irritated when cars pass close by at a high rate of speed and I believe walkers/runners have every right to be upset when passed by a fast bike in close proximity.

    What constitutes speeding bicycles on the river? I don’t know and I don’t want government dictating that number. Let’s attempt to resolve this issue ourselves. Be cognizant of the fact that cyclists and pedestrians are using the same space at very different rates of speed.

    Please don’t wear your feelings on your sleeves. Be aware of your surroundings. It’s easy to blame others when we’re not paying attention. The reaches are meant for everyone’s use. An old friend use to say, “Kinder, more gentler.” Jim Beall tells us to “Ease over, let the big trucks through.” He’s not telling us to let ourselves get run over, he’s telling us to be more thoughtful of others and share the road. Isn’t that one of the first things we learned in kindergarten? Let’s play nice together. There’s plenty of room for all.

  41. Share the road, share the path, take responsibility for your own actions. Don’t point fingers. There should be access to both bikes and pedestrians. Education is key, regulation is not the answer.

  42. No bikes (not even B-cycles) should be allowed between Blue Star and the Pearl. The paths are too narrow and there’s too many blind curves. Let the old folks, tourists, parents pushing strollers, dog-walkers and kiddos with training wheels enjoy those paths in peace.

    If you like to bike in that area (from southtown to the Pearl), then MAKE THE EFFORT to learn the bike-friendly routes. Several times a week I bike from southtown past the museums and into Brackenridge Park, and I know several very bike-able routes where I can safely bike as fast as I want. It is rude and inconsiderate to bike that section of the river path.

    I sometimes bike the Mission Reach section south from Blue Star to Espada. I have a bell which I ring a lot, and how fast I go depends entirely on who is on the path and what time it is. People who like to zoom past you with 3 inches to spare should NOT be on that path at all– they should be on the streets, where their speed is not endangering anybody but themselves.

    It would be a drag in some ways, but I would support putting speed bumps (or dips) on the Mission Reach to convince the spandex-speedsters to ride somewhere else. Other options could be putting zig-zags into the path, putting large planters with roses on the path so that you would have to slow down to navigate the obstacles. That would not detract from enjoyment of the path for walkers, strollers or dog-walkers, and hopefully it would make it much less-fun for the Tour de France crowd.

  43. They should challenge the App Developers to pick slow down points in the main congested areas which would penalize the Bike Rider for going over a certain speed in those areas.

  44. Once again the residents of SA get the shaft by the hundred millions we spent for greenbelts because most of the pathways are just too narrow, by about 18-24 inches. Wider pathways leave more room for flow. Certainly they knew that San Antonians would flock to these pathways in the evenings and mornings to stretch their legs and ride their bikes. We paid top dollar prices for land that is in flood plains, basically, to wealthy land developers, and while this city is all the better for it we should have gotten more than we did.

    I know bikers are pressing it, and it’s great to see so many more cyclists in the city, it’s rather unfortunate we have to share crowded pathways because the city was over paying for what we got instead of making sure we got our money’s worth. I believe we’re $150 million into this and what was built were glorified sidewalks.

  45. We need to better educate cyclists. I cycle to my evening job as often as my health permits. I ride with traffic, on the street. I follow the same rules as a car. That is how you should ride safely. But I see too many cyclists going on & off sidewalks, riding against traffic, running lights and stop signs. I even see cops doing that, setting a bad example. When cyclists know the rules, that helps. It could also help to put more signs on the river walk. I usually walk that, my cycling is for transport not leisure. Cyclists seldom call out, pedestrians walk all across the oath, it is rather mad out there. Would widening the path and putting in dividing lines, like a street, help? Peds to one side, bikes in another? Or peds between bikes, with directions clearly marked?

  46. Perhaps, a solution is in plain hindsight?

    Yet, I agree that the extended riverwalk reach does get overcrowded at times. Having walked the river sidewalk headed into town. As well as down towards the museum reach for exercise and recreational purposes. At times I see the overcrowding. I am just wondering how long will it be before you have either a bicyclist and/or foot traffic accidentally fall in the natural vegetative area or the river itself because of a lack of respect on either parties involved. I am sure the river is not deep but taken into consideration the debris/trash/liquids that the river might be storing. I for one would not want to find out the hard way.

    Regardless, it would be nice if the folks who walk their pooch and the dog takes care of its business…to pickup after the dog. I know allot of responsible dog walkers/owners pick up after their pets. I see them being considerate of others and I ” Thank You All ” for being responsible. But there are those few who don’t. Not to mention those who throw their dogs fecal matter into the river. I only seen this behavior a couple of times. And once I had a verbal match with the dog owner. Apparently, the fella didn’t give a hoot. And told me to mind my own business. Yaddah!, Yaddah!, Yaddah! I wanted to report him to SAPD but this sort of incident is not high on the police priority. So I just simply let it go.

    But in getting back to the riverwalk area crowding. I agree with those of you who say educate, educate, educate the folks who utilize this beautiful amenity of the city. It is ours to share and share alike.

    Daver The Neighbor’

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