LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KTHV) - The Pulaski County judge's office has recently seen an uptick in people complaining about cyclist versus pedestrian incidents.
It comes as the warmer spring weather brings more people outdoors, especially on the Arkansas River Trail. Judge Barry Hyde said his office has not had any reported injuries from bicyclist-pedestrian collisions.
But his office is trying to reach both by telling them to pay attentions on the trails, making sure you are leaving enough room for people to get by you.
"We just need to educate everybody so that everybody is having a positive, good experience on the River Trail,” Bicycle and Pedestrian coordinator John Landosky said.
Judge Hyde said the Big Dam Bridge, Two Rivers Bridge and Two Rivers Park are where he is seeing the most complaints.
"You don't need to be going 15 miles per hour or faster around a pedestrian. It's just too fast,” Landosky said.
Landosky said people are complaining cyclists are passing too closely.
"One of the big message that bicyclists are hearing is 'Give three feet.’ The idea is a car needs to pass a bicyclist with 3 feet,” he said.
So, he said cyclists should apply that same 3-foot rule to pedestrians.
"I think it's a good measure of safety to kind of be able to pass a pedestrian with enough space that they don't feel intimidated,” Landosky said.
Pedestrians should also being paying close attention.
“Just be aware of your surroundings. Make sure you’re looking straight ahead and not about to run into anybody,” Walker Tacarra Mcadory said.
But cyclists should still be aware that a pedestrian may not be listening.
"Every once in a while, a pedestrian is going to be startled when they hear ‘On your left!’ and they're going to step left, so that's one of the many reasons why you need to give them a wide buffer,” Landosky said.
Judge Hyde said his office is looking into adding additional lanes for serious cyclists at Two Rivers Park. He is also looking into updating warning signs on the sidewalks.
If you have any suggestions on how to keep the parks safer, Judge Hyde asks that you call or e-mail his office.