Collision on crowded Trinity Trails highlights need for safety among cyclists, joggers
Jerry Heaton believes he may have saved another man’s life on the Trinity Trails — and fractured his leg in the process.
The whole thing could have been avoided, Heaton said, if folks on the popular Fort Worth trails followed proper etiquette.
There’s more than three and a half times as many people walking, running and biking on the trails compared to last year, according to a recent assessment. With large groups walking, cyclists zipping around them and people distracted by their earphones, bikers, runners and Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price have said it’s time for people to learn how to share the trails.
On Saturday morning Heaton, an avid runner, was jogging toward his home near Mistletoe Heights on the east side of the river when a fast-moving cyclist clipped an oncoming jogger who had abruptly stepped around a mud puddle near the pedestrian bridge that connects to Trinity Park. The cyclist did not say anything to the pedestrians as he approached them, Heaton said.
The impact pushed the jogger into Heaton, who suffered a fractured tibia when he broke the man’s fall with his leg.
“Had he not hit my knee, I guarantee I would have been standing there with a dead guy,” he said.
Both Heaton and the jogger were stunned after the collision, and the cyclist pedaled off before they could exchange information, Heaton said.
Heaton, not realizing his leg was fractured, wound up renting a Fort Worth Bike Share bike to make the journey home with his wife, Susan, who met him on the trail. A few hours later he was in the emergency room where he learned of the fracture. A follow up appointment Thursday may determine if he needs surgery.
“A huge part of our lives revolves around getting out and walking,” said Heaton, who has run three marathons. “This has definitely screwed up our lives for the next couple months.”
Trinity Trails
People are out on the Trinity Trails significantly more often compared to last year, according to a presentation by the North Texas Council of Governments. Likely because of the coronavirus shutdown, the trails in March saw an increase of 255% more people compared to the same month in 2019.
The trails link more than 20 parks and neighborhoods, making it an easy spot for people looking to get out of the house or replace a trip to the gym.
The system is maintained and promoted through a partnership between Fort Worth, the Tarrant Regional Water District and the nonprofit Streams and Valleys.
Runners and cyclists alike say they’ve seen an uptick both in crowds and people not following basic etiquette.
“It’s getting so crowded, it’s bound to happen,” said David Cabral, president of the Fort Worth Runners Club.
The trails are packed even in the early hours, around 5:30 a.m., he said, but become increasingly crowded later in the morning, especially on the weekend. Runners and bikers are joined by families and folks walking their dogs.
People run or bike with earphones, which can be dangerous since it can prevent them from hearing each other. Walkers and runners, many of them who may not be used to the trail, are increasingly using the left side of the trail, reserved for passing, he said.
John Roberts, a past president of the Fort Worth Bicycling Association, said he’s heard and seen the same issues. Large groups of walkers that take up the entire path can be hazardous for bikers, he said, but cyclists must also maintain a safe speed and not “zoom” around people.
“People out on the trails need to think about the higher traffic, both cyclists and pedestrians,” Roberts said. “Just be wary of other people.”
According to Streams and Valleys, generally people on the trail should:
▪ Stay to the right with cyclists in single file.
▪ Announce when they plan to pass someone, only on the left.
▪ Avoid stopping or stalling in the middle of the trail.
▪ Those on wheels, like bicycles, scooters, rollerblades or skateboards, must yield to pedestrians.
▪ Observe “slow zones” near the Panther Island Pavilion, through Trinity Park and along the Clear Fork near The Woodshed.
Facebook reaction
Susan Heaton posted about her husband’s incident on the Tanglewood Moms Facebook page, where it quickly became a topic of discussion. The post was shared on other pages, including Bike Fort Worth, where some commentators said they avoid popular sections of the trails because of the overcrowding. Many said it was the responsibility of both pedestrians and cyclists to watch out for each other.
“On a multi-use trail, bikes should treat runners and pedestrians the way we want cars to treat us on the road. Bikes are the high speed vehicle and runners/pedestrians are the vulnerable users of the trail,” one biker wrote.
Making trails a priority
Both Cabral and Roberts said they would like to see signs posted at trail heads or throughout the system regarding trail rules. Painted stripes down the middle of the concrete path may help people stick to the right side, and separate trails for bikes and pedestrians have also been suggested.
Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price, an avid cyclist and cheerleader of the trail, called Heaton’s collision “tragic.”
“It worries me that we have so many people on the trails,” Price said. “It’s a good problem to have, but we need to renew our focus on trail safety. We’re lucky we haven’t had more accidents.”
While some sections of the trail are striped and speed bumps have been added near the slow zones, Price said the city has not had the funding to prioritize striping all of the roughly 90 miles of trail inside the city limits.
Fort Worth Police’s bike division patrols the trails as much as possible, but Price said it’s difficult to enforce etiquette along the system. She planned Wednesday to discuss increasing patrols with Chief Ed Kraus.
The biggest hazard are those who become distracted or forget where they are along the trail, she said.
“It’s just like driving a car,” Price said. “There’s lots of other vehicles around you on the trail. Whether they’re runners or whether they’re cyclists, there’s lots of people beside you. You wouldn’t tune them out in your car so don’t tune them out on the trail.”
Heaton, who is getting around on cruches, said he reported the collision to an officer parked on Forest Park Boulevard, but wasn’t sure if police looked for the biker.
He said people just need to take care of each other.
“I think a lot of people have been cooped up for a long period of time,” he said. “They’re anxious to get out and there’s a lot more aggression.”
This story was originally published May 27, 2020 at 2:56 PM.
