Dallas Working On Katy Trail Safety After Death
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - Just days after a young runner was struck and killed by a bicyclist on Dallas' Katy Trail, the park's sponsors met with city officials to begin mapping out a strategy to avoid a repeat of the tragedy.
The Katy Trail is a Dallas park devoted to runners, bicyclists and skaters. Most of it is separated into two separate trails: one, with a softer surface, is dedicated to pedestrian use. The other side is designed for bicyclists and skaters and is topped with concrete.
Everyone, it seems, uses the concrete side, and that's where the accident occurred.
On October 4, 28-year-old Lauren Huddleston was run over after reportedly turning sharply into the path of a bicyclist behind her. She died three days later without ever regaining consciousness.
"We want everyone to cooperate and take care of each other on the trail because we're all here together," said Robin Baldock, with the group Friends of the Katy Trail.
Today the group met with city staffers and City Council member Angela Hunt to try to come up with ways to make users more aware of each other. Hunt wants to see how other cities meet similar problems and come up with a plan for all city trails--not just the Katy.
"We want everybody to understand they need to maintain a safe speed on the trail," Baldock said.
Speed is apparently the wild card.
"The physics is real and absolute," said exercise physiologist Darvin McBrayer, who has consulted with professional sports teams and players. He believes damage to runners from bicycles at speeds as low as 5 m.p.h. can be minimal.
"(You) might get knocked over, a bruise, something like that," he said, "but it's not enough speed to break a bone or something like that. At 10 m.p.h, things can change, depending on the person riding the bike and the position of the person who's standing still."
Some trail users argue wider trails are needed with even more separation between runners and riders. Others suggest more warning signs. For now, sharing the trail means being aware.
