Officials say there is another hazard on the Fayetteville trail system. Parks and Recreation officials say new signage for bicylists could help cut down on accidents, if cyclists obey the new signs.
According to Parks and Rec officials, some bicyclists attempting to make it down the steep walking trail and across two low-water bridges next to the Gordon Long section of the Fayetteville city trail have been crashing, or slipping off the trail into the water.
So city Parks and Recreation Director Connie Edmonson says new signage closing the section to bikes will go a long way towards keeping the adventurous more safe. "We had some bicylists that were using that area even though we had five different signs up that says "caution - slippery when wet." Gordon Long isn't a "long" section of the Fayetteville trail system, but Edmonson says warning signs weren't doing much to keep some bikers away from its steep inclines and low water bridges. "There had been some bicycle crashes down there." Other cyclists agree the trails can be dangerous, if people don't stick to the rules of the road.
Fayetteville resident and biker Bill Hardgrave says "people just have to be careful! We've had some near misses and some accidents out there." And Edmonson says, they're doing something about it. "We decided we needed to make it apparent - it is not a safe place for bicycles to be. It is slippery when wet, so we put up a bigger caution sign and also a "no bike" sign."
Officials say they hope adding signs prohibiting bikes on Gordon Long prevents a lot of accidents. But trail bikers say their concerns aren't limited to that section of trail. Hardgrave says: "there's a lot of traffic on the trails and a lot of people don't know the trail etiquette of staying on your side of the trail and they scatter all over the trail and it can get a little dangerous if you're not careful." And fellow biker, Robert Taylor, agrees. "We had somebody flying around on the wrong side - hit me - it hit his hand, but the girl went down, yeah, pretty hard."
So to step in the gap, city officials hope a new "trail trekkers" volunteer program helps make the paths more safe for everyone who uses them. Hardgrave says he likes that plan. "I think it's a good idea - having people out there just reminding people what the trail etiquette is."
Parks officials tell us Trail Trekkers will patrol the paths, helping with everything from first aid to giving directions and teaching trail etiquette. It's a new program that will kick off this Thursday night at the Fayetteville Public Library. The public is welcome to attend, and sign up to volunteer. Call (479) 444-3481 for more information.
According to Parks and Rec officials, some bicyclists attempting to make it down the steep walking trail and across two low-water bridges next to the Gordon Long section of the Fayetteville city trail have been crashing, or slipping off the trail into the water.
So city Parks and Recreation Director Connie Edmonson says new signage closing the section to bikes will go a long way towards keeping the adventurous more safe. "We had some bicylists that were using that area even though we had five different signs up that says "caution - slippery when wet." Gordon Long isn't a "long" section of the Fayetteville trail system, but Edmonson says warning signs weren't doing much to keep some bikers away from its steep inclines and low water bridges. "There had been some bicycle crashes down there." Other cyclists agree the trails can be dangerous, if people don't stick to the rules of the road.
Fayetteville resident and biker Bill Hardgrave says "people just have to be careful! We've had some near misses and some accidents out there." And Edmonson says, they're doing something about it. "We decided we needed to make it apparent - it is not a safe place for bicycles to be. It is slippery when wet, so we put up a bigger caution sign and also a "no bike" sign."
Officials say they hope adding signs prohibiting bikes on Gordon Long prevents a lot of accidents. But trail bikers say their concerns aren't limited to that section of trail. Hardgrave says: "there's a lot of traffic on the trails and a lot of people don't know the trail etiquette of staying on your side of the trail and they scatter all over the trail and it can get a little dangerous if you're not careful." And fellow biker, Robert Taylor, agrees. "We had somebody flying around on the wrong side - hit me - it hit his hand, but the girl went down, yeah, pretty hard."
So to step in the gap, city officials hope a new "trail trekkers" volunteer program helps make the paths more safe for everyone who uses them. Hardgrave says he likes that plan. "I think it's a good idea - having people out there just reminding people what the trail etiquette is."
Parks officials tell us Trail Trekkers will patrol the paths, helping with everything from first aid to giving directions and teaching trail etiquette. It's a new program that will kick off this Thursday night at the Fayetteville Public Library. The public is welcome to attend, and sign up to volunteer. Call (479) 444-3481 for more information.
