MARQUETTE, Mich. (WZMQ) – Biking is always a popular pastime for many when summer comes in The UP, but with more bikers, pedestrians, and cars on the roads this time of year, it’s important to keep safety in mind as you enjoy the warm weather.
Marquette has many multi-use and dedicated bike paths across the city for leisure use and outdoor recreation. Captain James Finkbiner with The Marquette City Police says its important to remember to work together to keep the roads and trails safe.
“We have dedicated bike lanes on Wright Street and of course our dedicated bike paths and walking paths around the city are everywhere,” Captain Finkbiner says, “so we definitely have a lot to take advantage of as a biker”
When using bike paths in the city, it’s important to be vigilant of those around you. If the trails are busy, lower your speed, just like you would in a car, and let people know when you go to pass them to avoid accidents. Everett Bateman, owner of Bates Bikes says it can be helpful to check the rules of the trails before heading out.
“When you’re using the bike path you definitely want to be courteous of other riders,” Bateman says, “ride on the right, pass on the left, slow down in congested areas, we want to mitigate any risks we’re putting on ourselves and others.”
Bikers in the city have a right to the road, so the same rules apply to bikes that would to any motor vehicle. Bike lanes are present across Marquette, The City Police want to remind bikers that the bike lane on 3rd Street is for southbound traffic only.
“If you’re traveling north in that south bound lane, people at intersections probably aren’t looking for you to be on that side of the road” Captain Finkbiner says, “and we may a problem or an accident, so we don’t want to have that happen.”
It’s important to remember to follow traffic laws, even on bikes. Stop at stop lights and signs, remember to signal your turns, and when sharing the road, stay to the right.
“One of the biggest things of course with traffic in the summer is it does increase a lot,” Captain Finkbiner says, “and that goes for bikes, cars, motorcycles, pedestrians, all those things. The biggest piece of it is that everyone has to work together. It’s not one person’s responsibility over another.”
It’s all about maximizing fun and safety so that everyone can enjoy their time on the trails.
