Looks like runners will get speeding tickets on the new East Lake Sammamish trail if a 10 mph limit is imposed. While the rest of the regions’ trails have a 15 mph limit that work just fine, some people think that 10 mph is reasonable in Sammamish. To put that in running terms 10 mph is a 6 minute mile pace which many runners can achieve. The argument is that the slower speed is safer, but let’s look at this for a moment. Regardless of the speed limit, if people have dogs on long leashes across the trail, if children turn to left when riders call out “on your left”, when people walk three abreast and don’t share the trail, and if people wear ear phones so they don’t hear any warning, then you have safety issues. The trail is shared use trail. Let’s keep that in mind and respect each other’s use of the trail and be responsible for your own safety. Let’s also remember that a speeding ticket on a bicycle counts as a vehicle moving violation. Going 12 mph in a 10 will cost the rider $113, not a fair fine if walkers are not equally fined for what I mentioned above. And a fast runner would get fined $124. Really? Let’s keep it all reasonable at 15 mph.

 

Pete Hartmaier, Woodinville