Friendly fire on the bike path (Minuteman Bike Path)

[MattTuck]

I know we have some folks on here that ride this route, so hopefully we are all OK. Tragic.

Usually we think of the bike path as a safer place, but nothing is 100%

Be careful out there.

https://www.boston.com/news/local-ne...eway-lexington

A bicyclist died Sunday after he collided with another cyclist on the Minuteman Bikeway in Lexington, according to police.

Lexington police Lt. Michael Tuomi said the initial investigation indicates that the two male cyclists were traveling in opposite directions Sunday afternoon when they struck each other head on. Police responded to the scene, about a mile from the Arlington town line, around 2:09 p.m.

Both men were taken to Lahey Hospital with “extensive injuries,” where one of them passed away from his wounds, according to police.

The other man remained hospitalized Monday morning, Tuomi said.

“He is going to be OK,” he said.

Police have not released the names of the two cyclists.

[AngryScientist]

wow that's terrible.

[benb]

Yikes I rode that path yesterday with my son & his friend. (They are 6) . Later in the day though and it was deserted.

Had the discussion with my wife who is fairly ignorant of bike things that the bike path was not necessarily safer than the quiet streets. Constant battle to stop her from trying to ride sidewalks and stuff.

It was 100% obvious yesterday was the day all the casual cyclists brought their bikes out. I saw about 100x other cyclists on Sunday compared to Saturday. I went for a ride around 3:45PM around Bedford -> Concord -> Carlisle then came back and picked up my son & his friend and took them on the path. Seems like exactly the day for something bad to happen on the path, lots of rusty riders out and there is ALWAYS someone trying to set a PR on the path.

It is partly why I am not happy the Reformatory Branch trail from Bedford to Concord is slated to be paved. Right now it's a quiet dirt trail with light traffic, it's going to be full of insanity like the main part of the Minuteman once it gets paved, plus we lose another nice dirt trail. I'm sure they'll remove the few places you get to turn your bike on it.

[jamesdak]

I refuse to ride my local bike path. Way too many hazards. I prefer riding on the road with no real shoulder and 50 mph traffic over the path.

Shame to read about this though.

[Blue Jays]

Jeez. Horrible and tragic news.
My thoughts are with those cyclists.

[benb]

To be fair the Minuteman path is a great path, you just need to avoid the peak hours on the weekend.

It is a great way to commute into Somerville & Cambridge, the commuter crowd is much safer.

But on the weekend in the middle of the day when the weather is nice it is all Mom's pushing strollers, people with dog's off the leash, kids wobbling all over the place, rollerbladers who need > 50% of the width of the trail, and fat guys on road bikes trying to get the Strava KOMs. And they're all wearing their earbuds rocking out. Saw a guy swinging his hockey stick around while skating recently even, I almost yelled "stop high sticking" at him cause he had the stick up high enough to closeline someone, but he had buds in.

[Bruce K]

A 71 year old cyclist was killed in a collision with another cyclist on the Minuteman Bikeway in Lexington, MA yesterday.

Unfortunately, I can’t access the article in The Boston Globe on line.

This really sucks and points out just how dangerous these bike paths can be.

BK

[Bruce K]

Update -

Head-on collision

BK

[Gummee]

We had something similar on the W & OD trail system a bit ago.

People get on MUTs and turn off their brains because 'it's safe...'

Shame for all involved

M

[AngryScientist]

threads merged. title updated to be more specific

[Bentley]

Ok, 2:09 pm, should still be plenty of light so how did something like this happen? I cant imagine riding into someone in the daylight unless they were in coming around a blind curve or some large object. Really weird

[Clean39T]

That's awful. Our main MUT in Portland (Springwater Trail) is a nightmare - homeless encampments, broken pavement, and way too many heads-down cyclists competing with dogs/kids/gawkers for space..

Be safe out there folks - and watch out for those who aren't watching out for themselves.

[bigbill]

I used to ride the Centennial Trail in WA State in the afternoon when I was rehabbing my knee after surgery. I was focused on 16 mph with a 90 cadence on the flat trail. There would be large packs of riders spread completely across the path doing 20+ mph in an organized group ride. Oncoming riders would often pull over or get off the path. I'd hug the centerline to the right and force them to check up and get on their own side. There was a perfectly good road parallel to the trail, the trail was no place to do group rides.

[unterhausen]

I imagine they both had their heads down.

Our trails mostly have pedestrian traffic.

I rode on the Capital Crescent trail and the WO&D trail during morning commute last spring, and I see exactly how this sort of thing happens. People going 20+ combined with passing slower traffic or pedestrians without slowing down. The Capital Crescent trail was scarier, because I was going outbound during inbound commuting hours. Of course, the WO&D had its moments, getting passed by a guy in a suit on an upright bike comes to mind. Then he ran a stoplight. Must have been late.

[benb]

Originally Posted by Bentley

Ok, 2:09 pm, should still be plenty of light so how did something like this happen? I cant imagine riding into someone in the daylight unless they were in coming around a blind curve or some large object. Really weird

Worst case on this path (I've been riding it occasionally for > 20 years) is mixed speed use cases.

You've got people going both directions, plenty of traffic. If you're the fit guy on a road bike with a brain you're slowing WAY down to like 5mph when you come up behind a family with young kids so you can wait for oncoming traffic to pass the other direction.

But you've got bike path heroes who are really bothered about slowing down... they're going as fast as possible on that path no matter what, so they are weaving back and forth to try and pass slower traffic in that narrow window before the other group coming towards them at 5-10mph blocks their ability to pass.

I just looked at my Track from yesterday. I averaged 9.8mph on one of the Strava Segments on the path yesterday with my 6-year old and his friend. Even if they spin out at 150rpm they are not going to exceed 15mph with the gearing on their 20" MTBs.

That Segment the leader is 25mph... what happens if that guy going 25mph hits my kid oncoming with a 35-40mph closing speed? Note that averaging 25mph on that MUT segment requires likely running through 2 stop signs plus a light that crosses a busy street, so realistically you need to exceed 30mph in places to do that.