Hike, bike trail signs confuse motorists

The lights from passing vehicles streak across Miori Lane at night. A caution sign located at the new hike and bike trail built along Lone Tree Creek has caught the interest of pedestrians and vehicle drivers alike. The graphic showing a yield sign, a figure and bicycle icon, and arrow has some people wondering exactly what the sign means.
The lights from passing vehicles streak across Miori Lane at night. A caution sign located at the new hike and bike trail built along Lone Tree Creek has caught the interest of pedestrians and vehicle drivers alike. The graphic showing a yield sign, a figure and bicycle icon, and arrow has some people wondering exactly what the sign means.


Originally published July 8, 2009 at 4:15 p.m., updated July 15, 2009 at 4:40 p.m.

Some people think the signs prompt motorists to yield to trail users. Others think the signs mean bicyclists must stop for pedestrians.

Bill Doyle thinks the signs need replacing.

"They're misleading," the 73-year-old said. "I thought, 'What in the world are they trying to accomplish - some sort of secret code or something?'"

For all the excitement the city's new hike-and-bike trail drums, the four crosswalks seem to numb a bit of the runner's high.

The buzz kill stems from confusion over who has the right-of-way at crossings, and ambiguous signs many motorists can't decipher.

Doyle uses Miori Lane as his main route. The road takes him in his car through one of four trail crosswalks. The retired public schools worker worries about the foot traffic, he said.

"If anybody gets hurt, the trail users are going to get hurt," Doyle said. "When you're traveling in a car at a good rate of speed, you don't have very long to scan something and get the message. I looked hard. I don't get any great meaning out of those signs."

The signs in question face motorists on Miori Lane and the other three trail crossings.

The signs portray a small yield marker, a bicycle, a pedestrian, an arrow and the words, "Here" and "To." This jumbled mix appears to be the crux of confusion.

As confusing as the signs may be, each meets state requirements and is recommended for this unique crosswalk by federal guidelines, said Ken Gill, a city engineer.

To learn the legal explanations for these signs and the coinciding right-of-way issues, Google:

"Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices, 2003, markings." Then, click the top Google link. Once at the site, click the "Chapter 2B" link, which details regulatory signs. Scroll to the bottom to find the sign.

"Texas Transportation Code, section 552.003."

In layman's terms, the signs are designed to alert motorists that the hike-and-bike trail nears. If a pedestrian or bicyclist is in the road, then motorists must stop. Otherwise, pedestrians must yield to motorists, who have the right-of-way.

Rights-of-way exist here as such because the crosswalks lack a stoplight and a stop sign, the city engineer said.

"I think what's confusing people is it's a first," Gill said. "This is new to Victoria, Texas. This is not new to other cities that have hike-and-bike trails. It's not something we dreamed up. We went to something that's standardized to the country and recognized by the traffic control and safety community."

Trail users should look both ways just like they would before crossing any other street, Gill said. Even though motorists have the right-of-way in most cases, drivers should approach crosswalks with caution, too, he added.

The city will move the signs this week from the flasher posts to between 20 and 50 feet from the crosswalks to give motorists advanced warning.

Trail users who push the flasher button to cross notice the following sign, which is attached to the pole at the crosswalk: "Traffic does not stop when flashers activated." The flashers give motorists additional warning that people are at the crosswalks, Gill said.

Some fear the yellow flashers and new signs might give trail users a false sense of security. After all, motorists are not required to stop for people waiting at the crosswalks.

Doyle, the frustrated motorist, thinks he has the answer.

"I learned a big lesson a long time ago: If you don't have a solution, why make an issue out of something? In this case, I have a solution," Doyle said. "They ought to go back and repaint those signs and turn them facing the trails. 'Trail users must yield to vehicles,' the sign should say. That's simple. That's all anyone needs to know."

Watchdog is a column by Advocate Public Service Editor Gabe Semenza. It appears every two weeks. Contact him at 361-580-6519 or gsemenza@vicad.com, or comment on this story at VictoriaAdvocate.com.