24 Jul TRAIL SAFETY ALERT: Walk Bikes Through Work Zone

Top of Michigan Trails Council Safety & Maintenance Director Bill Prall and many outstanding, generous volunteers have been working to improve safety on the trails.

When our maintenance crew works on a trail section, they need to have the cooperation of trail users. Bicyclists, skateboarders, joggers, dog walkers, and all other trail users are instructed by signage and orange cones to walk carefully through the work zones.

As you can see from the photo, the trail workers are focused on the task at hand, not passing bicyclists and others. Many bicyclists obey the signs, which are clearly visible.

Please, walk your bikes through the work zone. Too many trail users don’t seem to understand the danger they create for the volunteers and themselves by trying to ride through the work area. These work zones are only a couple of hundred feet long – no great inconvenience to bicyclists.

When maintenance workers are using roofing torches, chainsaws, pruning equipment, hedge trimmers and other power tools, they need to be able to focus on the project – not trying to watch for bicyclists pedaling dangerously close!

These trail volunteers are out there trying to make a safe, enjoyable trail surface for everyone. Please, respect the volunteer workers and walk your bikes through these work zones. We don’t want anyone to get hurt. Thank you!