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BPAC urges standardized trail safety signage, asks Public Works to fund rollout
Summary
After members described confusion about motorized vehicles and speed on trails, the committee voted to ask City Public Works to develop a standardized, educational set of trail signs and a funding plan for installation.
Members of the Santa Fe Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee on Feb. 13 discussed repeated reports of motorized vehicles, homemade electric motorcycles and scooter use on multiuse trails and the difficulty of enforcing speed limits on paths designed for pedestrians and bicyclists.
Several members said that many trail users are unaware of trail rules and that clarifying signs could reduce conflicts. Committee members favored educational, etiquette-style signage that instructs users to keep right, yield when passing and call out before passing instead of relying solely on posted speed limits, which several members said would be difficult to enforce.
The committee moved to recommend that the city public works department develop a standardized set of trail-safety signs, prioritize locations for installation and identify funding for implementation. The motion passed on a roll-call vote; the committee requested that Public Works coordinate with the city traffic engineer and Parks and Open Space to produce a small menu of sign options the committee can review.
Why it matters: BPAC members reported seeing fully motorized motorcycles and other small motor vehicles on trails and described situations in which people mistakenly identify those vehicles as “ebikes.” Committee members said signs that distinguish pedal-assist e-bicycles from motor-only vehicles and that encourage courteous passing would help reduce confrontation and improve safety.
Implementation: Committee members asked the technical review subcommittee to work with the traffic engineer on wording, design and placement. Staff said signage installation and ongoing maintenance require budgeted funds; BPAC recommended the city identify an implementation funding mechanism and a prioritization schedule.
Ending: The technical review subcommittee will follow up with the traffic engineer and bring draft sign designs and a proposed prioritization and funding plan back to BPAC for further action.
