JACKSON, Wyo. — They say variety is the spice of life. On any given day on the Jackson Hole Community Pathways system, a user might encounter: three teenagers piled onto an e-bike, a dogwalker with multiple canine clients, an elderly couple out for a stroll, an impatient jogger loudly enunciating into their cell phone, someone just learning how to skateboard, and so much more. What could possibly go wrong?
In an effort to alleviate any potential points of friction among different pathway users, nonprofit Friends of Pathways partners with local law enforcement agencies to encourage safer behavior on the beloved community trails. With more than 70 miles of paved pathways winding their way across Teton County, smooth sailing is the goal, which requires collective consideration.
Jim Rooks, bike safety coordinator for Friends of Pathways, explained that speeding is what leads to most issues on pathways. In a community survey administered by the nonprofit, the vast majority of respondents listed speed as the top issue facing pathway users.
“If everybody slowed down, most of the conflict would go away,” Rooks told Buckrail.
Rooks noted that pathway sharing issues can be exacerbated during the busiest time of the day (generally 3 to 5 p.m., after the schools let out), and more visible on the most highly used pathway segments, including in Russ Garaman Park and the pathway running along Teton Village Road (WY390).
But heaping all of the blame onto e-biking middle schoolers isn’t quite fair, according to the local experts. Sgt. Jeromie Traphagen with the Jackson Police Department noted of the e-bike citations he’s issued, roughly as many go to adults as to minors. Helping the younger set understand the consequences of unsafe behavior is his aim.
“When you’ve got these guys ripping around town, that’s what makes people cringe and want to be like, ‘Ugh, the youths,’” Traphagen said. “If there’s a way to help coach the kids through a better behavior that keeps in mind others in the community to keep safety in check, that’s what we’d like to see.”
Rooks works directly with kids in grades K through 9 to discuss bicycle and e-bike safety, and he’s pleased to report he’s seen an improvement in the local youth both anecdotally and in the data.
“We’ve had some groups be critical of us for trying to get more kids on the pathways,” Rooks said. “We think it’s the best problem we could ever have. This is a good thing, for hundreds of kids to be biking to school — freedom, autonomy, socialization. It’s true for everyone. Get out there! This community has invested tens of millions of dollars into this system!”
As part of its multi-pronged efforts to curb friction among pathway users, Friends of Pathways launched an ambassador program this summer, alongside a new public education campaign featuring short-form videos about “how we roll in Jackson Hole.” In short, harmonious coexistence on the pathways boils down to these five guidelines:
- Be nice. Say “Hi.”
- Keep right. Pass left.
- Ring your bell when passing.
- Be pro — go slow!
- Keep dogs on a short leash.
Of those five tenets, Rooks is a big fan of the first: “Understand you’re sharing the pathways with every other user in the community, so act accordingly.”
