An e-accident waiting to happen

I’m a newcomer to La Plata County; I’ve only been here 18 years.

For most of that period, I’ve walked about five days/week on a dirt county road in the eastern part of the county. There are years when I have not seen another walker on the road. There is a modest amount of car traffic, from none some days, to perhaps 10 for the hour that I walk. I wave to drivers, most of whom return the wave, some of whom I’ve chatted with. I wasn’t walking recently when ICE was doing a stop and detainment on the road thankfully, but that’s another issue.

Over the years, I’ve walked the Animas River Trail at times. I hadn’t done that much recently and was unpleasantly surprised when I did so last week. With the advent of electric bikes, I felt seriously endangered while walking. Many electric cyclists travel at speeds which, should a collision with a pedestrian occur, could cause serious injury. I feel much more endangered by the two-wheeled traffic by the Animas than I do by the four-wheeled traffic on the county road. There are frequently drivers in a hurry on that road, but they seldom seem to endanger me. Another Colorado town with bike paths posts speed limits, and there are occasional police bike patrols. I’ve not seen either in Durango. Of course, the best solution to this hazard would be cyclists exercising common courtesy, which many do. 

I urgently ask electric cyclists to ride prudently and safely before a serious accident occurs. If you’re in a hurry, ride the city streets and take your chances instead of expecting pedestrians to take theirs. Thanks.

– Andrew Zeiler, eastern La Plata County