Drivers and trail users find themselves at cross-purposes over signs

Drivers approaching a trail crosswalk have safety obligations, as do the people attempting to cross. (2008 Photo By Tracy A. Woodward/the Washington Post)
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"However, I may have reached my limit. This weekend, while driving in the area, I had two close calls with cyclists crossing roads that bisect the W&OD Trail. In both cases, the cyclists blew through their stop signs and sailed across the road without even looking to see if cars were coming. Both times, I had to slam on the brakes to avoid hitting them. In the second incident, the cyclist wasn't wearing a helmet -- an accident would have been deadly.

"Cyclists on the trail must stop at roadways -- the stop signs are clearly marked."

"A. I think of myself as a driver and a cyclist and a transit user and a walker, and try to appreciate where everyone is coming from. For sure, I agree with you about the need for cyclists to obey traffic laws, for their sake and the sake of other travelers. There are periodic enforcement efforts, and I'm glad of that, but as I said before about Metro riding, there won't ever be enough enforcement to stop all the bad behavior.

"Unfortunately, there aren't enough travelers who do the right thing just because it's the right thing. More often they do the right thing -- like stopping at stop signs -- because they feel compelled to do it by the fear of a collision."

The goal of all these laws is to keep people from crashing into each other, no matter how they are traveling. A driver approaching a crosswalk has an obligation -- moral, as well as legal -- to yield or stop for a person in a crosswalk. That is indeed unambiguous. As Keenan pointed out, the person planning to use the crosswalk also has an obligation not to step into the crosswalk if an approaching driver doesn't have sufficient stopping distance.

As the online commenter pointed out, many trail crossings differ from the typical crosswalk in that they have a red stop sign for trail users. Those signs also are unambiguous. They do not mean, "Calculate whether you can make it across the road before you get hit and then decide whether you actually have to stop."

Wary of warnings

Our next writer also worries about how crossings are marked.

Dear Dr. Gridlock:

I am writing about these new yellow diamond crosswalk signs that are popping up across the metropolitan area and causing some confusion as to how drivers are expected to respond. One of the more dangerous signs is on the George Washington Parkway going north after the Memorial Bridge.

On at least three occasions, I've seen drivers coming to a screeching halt (in 50 mph traffic) to let a pedestrian or bicyclist who is lingering along the side of the road to cross. I believe the diamond is merely supposed to alert drivers to the crosswalk and keep them mindful to those runners and bikers in the midst of crossing.

However, some motorists are stopping short, regardless, and nearly causing rear-end collisions. The safety sign causes more danger than it averts. I've also seen one of these signs along Beverly Road in McLean that similarly causes chaos.

Sue Valentine

Alexandria

DG: One of the great evolutions in thinking among transportation departments is reflected in the growing concern for all types of travelers and in the efforts to keep them safe at points of potential conflict.

Jurisdictions in the D.C. region use diamond-shaped signs to warn drivers they are approaching pedestrian or bike crossings, and drivers might see more of them than they used to. But the warning signs don't change the rules at the crosswalks.

The rules are quite reasonable. If they are followed, everyone's behavior should be predictable and there should be no screeching.

Driver manuals, the ones you memorized to get your license, say drivers must yield or stop for people in crosswalks. Notice that the rules refer to people in crosswalks rather than to people by the side of a roadway thinking about crossing. As Keenan said in the previous letter, those on the sidelines have an obligation not to step out so suddenly that the driver doesn't have time to stop.

The George Washington Parkway is a route that should inspire caution on the part of every type of traveler. Yes, it's now used by thousands of daily commuters, but it also provides numerous access points for trail and parkland users. They have as much right to it as drivers.

The warning signs on the parkway and elsewhere should do no more than remind drivers of the need to slow down because they might be approaching people who are crossing the roadway, or cars that already have stopped for those people.