SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — The number of people using the Sioux Falls bike trail has increased by 200 percent since the start of the pandemic.
That means a lot of people are using the bike trail system for the first time, and many of them are walking.
This can be a dangerous mixture when you have bike riders going 15 to 20 miles an hour and a crowded bike path.
That’s why the city parks department is hoping to get more people educated on proper safety etiquette.
“As a bicyclist you need to announce your intentions when you are going to pass, whether it is a bell or an on your left, just to let the pedestrian know that you are passing. And for the pedestrians, it’s an awareness that people are not only coming toward you but also coming up behind you, that way if you’ve got a dog on a leash you can rein the dog in if somebody is about to pass you, or if you are pushing a stroller holding hands with your child you can stay to the right side of the trail, not take up the entire trail,” Kelby Mieras with the Sioux Falls Parks Department said.
In tonight’s Eye on KELOLAND at 10, we will meet a bike rider who has suffered a serious injury after crashing three times on the bike trail. He talks about the frustration of running into people who are not paying attention and making it dangerous for others.
