July 2008

 
Dear Mr. Trivia,
Why is it that runners routinely use the street for jogging instead of perfectly good sidewalks and trails along the roadway?
Signed, Target Season Always Open in Fridley

Dear Frustrated in Fridley,
While I understand your frustration, the following might be some good reasons why we must share the road at times with our fellow pounders of the pavement.

• Weather – different seasons bring snow, ice, and rain to our sidewalks and trails. These pathways are usually the last to be cleared and cleaned up by maintenance crews and are not designed to drain like a roadway.
• Safety – believe it or not, but joggers feel safer in the street versus trying to avoid cars coming out of driveways and side-streets. Drivers do not instinctively look for runners on the sidewalks in advance of pulling up to the street.
• Softer Surface – bituminous roadways are softer than concrete sidewalks and make a difference to the serious runners over miles of running.
• Condition of Surface – runners routinely look for pavement surfaces that provides them with the best footing. They do not want to have to worry about uneven and inconsistent pavement for fear of injury. Sometimes they find the best alternative in the street.
• Congestion on the Sidewalks – when it becomes congested on the sidewalks, runners do not like weaving in and out of people, on/off the sidewalk, or spooking others when they are passing them.
• Lighting – when it is dark, it is often easier to see the surface of the road than the sidewalk.

That being said, I too think that some runners abuse sharing the road and take it for granted that they are safer in the street. Like most things in life, a minor few will create the majority of the problems. Most runners do use common courtesy. Take your target practice elsewhere...

Quick fact: Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, became the first school to institute graduate study courses in traffic engineering and administration....1937.