Trout Run Trail accident leads to discussion of lane dividers

Over the 4th of July weekend, one user of the Trout Run Trail suffered bruises when his bike skidded on a lane divider and he lost control.

Members of the city/county Trails Committee discussed the accident Wednesday morning, but any solution would be imperfect.  For instance, painted lane dividers keep bike riders from taking the left side of the bike path, but the dividers can get wet.  Eliminating the dividers, however, might lead to head on crashes if a bike rider veered into the left side of the bike lane.

Committee members say they will check with other counties and cities to learn how the issue is handled by them.  However, they also point out that a multi-use trail such as Trout Run Trail will attract a mixture of bikers, hikers and walkers--all of which pose potential safety issues.